>er  ant>  SSoohseUer, 

OECIL  COURT, 


Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 


THE 

ANCIENT   MYSTERIES 

AND 


BY 

REV.  CHARLES  H.  VAIL,  32° 

PASTOR   OF   PULLMAN   MEMORIAL   CHURCH 
AT   ALBION,    N.    Y. 


FIRST   EDITION 


1909 


PUBLISHED   BY 

MACOY  PUBLISHING  AND  MASONIC  SUPPLY  CO. 
NEW  YORK  CITY,  N.  Y.  U.  S.  A. 


45-7-9  JOHN  ST. 

NEW  YORK,   U.   S.   A. 


ENTERED     AT    STATIONERS'    HALL 

LONDON     I9O9 

ALL     RIGHTS     RESERVED     UNDER 
BERNE     CONVENTION 


Printed  by 

Macoy  Publishing  and  Masonic  Supply  Co. 
New  York.  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE. 

The  Series  of  Sunday  Evening  Lectures  whicfi 
comprise  this  book  were  first  given  in  the  Pullman 
Memorial  Church,  Albion,  N.  Y.,  to  the  members 
of  Renovation  Lodge  No.  97,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the 
congregation  of  which  the  author  is  pastor.  The 
many  calls  for  the  lectures  in  printed  form  led 
to  their  publication.  We  trust  that  the  book  may 
contribute  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  Order 
by  the  general  public;  inspiring  our  Brother  Ma- 
sons to  greater  appreciation  of  and  loyalty  to  the 
Fraternity,  and  encouraging  all  to  labor  for  the 
realization  of  the  great  principles  and  ideals  em- 
bodied in  the  Ancient  Mysteries  and  our  Modern 
Masonry. 

CHARLES  H.  VAIL. 
Albion,  N.  Y.,  March  10,  1909. 


2071670 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS 


PAGE 

LECTURE     I. 
THE  ORIGIN  AND  OBJECT  OF  THE  ANCIENT  MYSTERIES  ....     13 

LECTURE     II. 
THE  EGYPTIAN,  HINDU,  AND  PERSIAN  MYSTERIES 33 

LECTURE     III. 
THE  DRUIDICAL,  GOTHIC,  GRECIAN,  AND  JEWISH  MYSTERIES    51 

LECTURE     IV. 
THE  CHRISTIAN  MYSTERIES 73 

LECTURE    V. 
THE  CHRISTIAN  MYSTERIES  (CONCLUDED) 92 

LECTURE    VI. 
THE  MEANING  OF  TRUE  INITIATION 109 

LECTURE     VII. 
THE   MEANING  OF  TRUE  INITIATION  (CONCLUDED) 180 

LECTURE    VIII. 
THE  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY  OF  FREEMASONRY 142 

LECTURE  IX. 

THE  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY  OF  THE  KNIGHTS  TEMPLARS  AND 
THE  ANCIENT   ACCEPTED  SCOTTISH  RITE 161 

LECTURE     X. 
THE  SYMBOLS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  MASONRY 182 

LECTURE     XI. 
THE  SYMBOLS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  MASONRY  (CONTINUED)...  197 


LIST  OF  MASONIC  AND  KINDRED  BOOKS..  ..217 


ANCIENT  MYSTERIES  AND  MODERN 
MASONRY. 

INTRODUCTION. 

The  purpose  of  these  lectures  is  to  consider  the 
origin  and  nature  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  and 
Modern  Masonry  and  to  show  the  relation  which 
they  bear  one  to  the  other.  Freemasonry  deals 
largely  with  the  morals  and  symbols  of  the  Mys- 
teries of  Antiquity,  and  originally  was  one  of  the 
channels  of  Ancient  Wisdom. 

There  were  a  few  among  the  founders  of  Mod- 
ern Masonry  who  possessed  the  Royal  Secret,  or, 
at  least,  had  a  knowledge  of  its  existence,  and,  if 
the  key  has  been  lost,  the  Mason,  as  Heir-apparent 
of  the  Old  Wisdom,  should  be  foremost  in  the 
search  for  its  recovery. 

All  agree  that  the  Masonic  symbols  and  tradi- 
tions are  of  the  greatest  antiquity,  and  can  be 
traced  to  the  far  East — to  the  earliest  civilization, 
from  which  time  and  place  they  have  spoken  in 
nature's  language  to  all  peoples  of  the  earth.  We 
are  more  and  more  convinced  that  this  picture 
language  of  our  ritual  contains  a  most  complete 
philosophy — a  knowledge  embracing  the  eternal 
verities  of  the  universe,  and  that  these  symbols 
were  designed  by  the  Initiates  of  old  to  preserve 
and  convey  that  Ancient  Wisdom  to  the  present 


10  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

and  future  generations.  Though  empires  and  dynas- 
tic continents  have  appeared  and  passed  away, 
these  ancient  symbols,  hewn  in  rock-cut  temples 
and  monuments,  have  served  to  convey  the  Great 
Secret  from  ages  past  and  will  continue  its  record 
as  long  as  this  part  of  the  universe  remains. 

Modern  Masonry,  has  become  in  a  special  sense, 
the  custodian  of  these  ancient  symbols;  and  should 
not  be  content  with  its  possession  only,  nor  with 
merely  imitating  its  various  predecessors;  but  should 
enter  boldly  into  the  inheritance  of  its  birthright  and 
seek  the  Ancient  Wisdom  of  its  illustrious  prototypes. 
To  confine  the  inteipretation  of  its  symbols  and 
legends  to  lessons  in  morality  and  fraternity,  such  as 
are  found  in  all  exoteric  religions,  is  not  to  grasp  the 
deeper  meaning  that  the  glyphs  and  parables  were 
meant  to  convey.  Many  to-day  realize  this  fact  and 
they  are  seeking  still  '"More  Light" — without,  as  well 
as  within  the  tiled  doors  of  our  Lodges. 

In  setting  forth  the  results  of  modern  research  con- 
cerning the  symbols  and  legends  of  antiquity  and  their 
meaning  in  Modern  Masonry,  I  shall  not  lift  the  veil 
from  the  secrets  of  the  Order,  but  will  endeavor  to 
lead  the  initiate  to  the  clearer  light  that  he  may  not 
only  see  for  himself  the  connection,  linking  the  past, 
with  the  present;  but  will  begin  to  know,  through  the 
development  of  his  higher  Masonic  manhood,  the 
mighty  truth  of  which  these  symbols  speak.  In  this 
endeavor  I  shall  only  refer  to  those  things  in  Ma- 
sonry that  are  exoteric  and  contained  in  our  best 
publications.  I  do  not  claim  the  knowledge  that 
would  enable  me  to  completely  unfold  the  mystery 
and  philosophy  embodied  in  the  glyphs  of  ancient 


Introduction  11 

times,  but  that  they  do  embody  an  occult  science 
no  thinking  man  of  to-day  has  any  doubt,  and  if  I 
am  able  to  throw  even  a  little  light  on  the  great 
subject  of  ancient  symbolic  mysteries  I  shall  feel 
amply  repaid  for  my  efforts. 

I  am  sure  the  lectures  will  prove  interesting  and 
instructive  to  both  members  and  non-members  of 
the  Order,  and  while  some  few  things  mentioned 
will  be  better  understood  by  Master  Masons,  my 
meaning  will  be  clear  to  all :  and  that  they  may  lead 
to  a  better  understanding  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries 
and  Modern  Masonry,  I  bespeak  for  the  subject 
matter  your  careful  investigation. 


LECTURE  I. 

THE  ORIGIN  AND  OBJECT  OF  THE 
ANCIENT  MYSTERIES. 

Along  with  the  popular  traditions  and  public  cults  of 
ancient  times,  there  existed  an  inner  organization  of 
religion — the  Mystery  Institution — which  was  the 
channel  of  secret  traditions. 

While  our  knowledge  of  the  Mysteries  is  not  so 
extensive  as  we  could  desire,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
they  were  anciently  guarded  with  the  greatest  care 
— the  slightest  violation  of  the  oath  of  secrecy  be- 
ing punishable  by  death — we  know  that  the  mys- 
tery-side of  religion,  a  knowledge  of  its  highest  cult 
and  doctrines,  was  only  attained  through  initiation. 
Every  great  Teacher  of  antiquity  passed  through 
these  portals.  This  one  fact  in  itself  makes  the 
study  of  the  Mysteries  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
Masons. 

The  Institution  of  the  Mysteries  was  to  be  found  in 
all  parts  of  the  world.  There  were  the  Mysteries  of 
Isis  and  Osiris  in  Egypt,  the  Mithraic  Mysteries  of 
the  Persians,  the  Orphic  and  Bacchic  and  the  later 
Eleusinian  semi-Mysteries  of  Greece,  the  Mysteries  of 
Samothrace  and  Chaldea,  the  Mysteries  of  India,  the 
Druidical  Mysteries,  the  Gothic  Mysteries,  and 
many  others. 

Thus  it  follows  that  the  key  to  antiquity  is  a 
knowledge  of  its  Mysteries.  The  late  Gen.  Albert 


14  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Pike,  formerly  Sovereign  Grand  Commander  of  the 
Supreme  Council,  Southern  Jurisdiction,  A.  A.  S.  R. 
illustrates  this  by  saying:  "Through  the  veil  of  all 
the  hieratic  and  mystic  allegories  of  the  ancient 
dogmas,  under  the  seal  of  all  the  sacred  writings,  in 
the  ruins  of  Nineveh  or  Thebes,  on  the  worn  stones 
of  the  ancient  temples,  and  on  the  blackened  face  of 
the  sphinx  of  Assyria  or  Egypt,  in  the  monstrous 
or  marvelous  pictures  which  the  sacred  pages  of  the 
Vedas  translate  for  the  believers  of  India,  in  the 
strange  emblems  of  our  old  books  of  Alchemy,  in 
the  ceremonies  of  reception  practiced  by  all  the 
mysterious  Societies,  we  find  traces  of  a  doctrine 
everywhere  the  same,  and  everywhere  carefully 
concealed.  The  occult  philosophy  seems  to  have 
been  the  nurse  or  godmother  of  all  religions,  the 
secret  lever  of  all  the  intellectual  forces,  the  key  of 
all  divine  obscurities,  and  the  Absolute  Queen  of 
Society,  in  the  ages  when  it  was  exclusively  re- 
served for  the  education  of  the  Priests  and  Kings." 
(Morals  and  Dogma,  p.  729.) 

THE  ORIGIN    OF  THE    MYSTERIES. 

The  Mysteries  had  their  origin  in  the  first  great 
Teachers  and  Guides  of  humanity.  These  are  called 
the  "Sons  of  Venus,"  they  formed  the  "Nursery  of 
Adepts" — the  nucleus  of  the  first  Great  White 
Lodge.  The  Chief  of  these  is  known  by  many  mys- 
tic names  in  the  old  writings — the  "Root  Base  of 
the  Occult  Hierarchy,"  the  "Kumara,"  etc.  Sur- 
rounding the  Chief  there  was  a  small  band  of  Be- 
ings who  came  to  earth  to  labor  for  the  evolution 
of  young  humanity.  Another  class  of  Beings  who 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  15 

aided  in  this  work  was  called  Agnishvattas.  Many  of 
these,  we  are  told  in  the  "Stanzas  of  Dzyan,"  became 
Arhats.  Thus  was  established  upon  earth,  according 
to  tradition,  the  first  Great  Occult  Hierarchy. 

In  the  early  ages  occult  knowledge  was  taught 
openly,  as  the  sciences  are  taught  in  our  colleges 
to-day.  But  in  the  course  of  time  many  allowed 
their  selfishness  to  rule  and  so  abused  their  power 
that  it  became  necessary  to  withhold  such  knowl- 
edge from  the  unworthy.  This  was  the  condition 
of  religious  affairs  when  the  Mysteries  were  neces- 
sarily established  by  the  King-Priests  of  the  Divine 
Dynasties,  in  the  days  of  Atlantis. 

There  were  many  already  in  possession  of  occult 
knowledge  who  were  so  engrossed  in  selfishness 
that  they  could  not  be  brought  into  the  divine 
path ;  and  their  abuse  of  this  power  over  the  forces 
of  nature  made  them  giants  of  evil.  They  re- 
belled against  the  White  Emperor,  and  became 
Black  Magicians,  this  caused  a  long  and  fierce 
struggle.  At  last  the  cup  of  evil  was  full;  the  forces 
of  nature  were  turned  against  the  land,  until  the 
great  continent,  together  with  all  followers  of  their 
own  selfish  practice,  sank  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
ocean.  Before  the  storm  broke,  however,  the  men  of 
the  "Good  Law"  heeding  the  summons  to  escape, 
migrated  to  a  place  of  safety. 

Before  the  overthrow  of  Atlantis  the  Mysteries 
were  well  established  in  ancient  Chaldea  and  Egypt 
—the  two  great  Fourth  race  nations  being  off- 
shoots of  the  great  Atlantean  civilization.  The  In- 
dian Mysteries  came  from  her  own  Priest  King,  the 


16  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Manu,  who  gave  to  the  first  branch  of  the  Aryan 
stock  its  religious  teaching.  From  this  fount  of 
the  Aryan  race  the  Mystery-teaching  in  after  years 
flowed  westward,  and  mingling  with  the  older  tradi- 
tion, derived  from  Ancient  Atlantis,  gave  to  it  new 
life  and  power.  The  Greeks  received  their  Mys- 
teries from  Orpheus,  who  introduced  them  direct 
from  India.  But  from1  whatever  source  the  various 
nations  received  their  mystic  instruction,  the  mean- 
ing was  ever  the  same — all  Initiates  were  members 
of  the  one  Great  Brotherhood.  In  these  early  days 
the  Mystery-Institutions  were  conducted  by  Great 
Adepts  whose  knowledge  was  the  fruitage  of  a 
prior  system  of  evolution ;  but  as  time  went  on  and 
our  humanity  developed,  the  great  Masters  grad- 
ually withdrew,  and  the  Mysteries  were  committed 
to  the  advanced  pupils  of  our  present  system  of 
evolution. 

THE   SOURCE   OF   RELIGIONS. 

There  are  two  schools  of  thought  in  the  modern 
world — Comparative  Mythologists  and  Comparative 
Religionists.  The  answers  given  by  these  two 
schools  to  the  question  of  the  source  of  religion 
are  diametrically  opposed,  but  both  base  their  argu- 
ments upon  the  same  common  facts.  These  facts 
are  of  marked  similarity,  not  only  in  the  teaching, 
character,  and  power  of  the  Founders  of  religions, 
but  also  of  the  main  outlines  of  their  lives. 

The  stories  of  these  Savior-Gods  and  their  teach- 
ings antedate,  some  of  them  by  many  centuries,  the 
birth  of  the  Christian  Savior.  This  similarity 
amounting  in  many  cases  to  practical  identity,  denotes, 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  17 

according  to  both  schools,  a  common  origin. 

The  Comparative  Mythologists  contend  that  the 
common  origin  is  one  of  common  ignorance,  that 
the  universal  natural  phenomena  and  the  person- 
ification of  these  powers  of  nature,  resulted  in  simi- 
lar ideas.  This  school  maintains  that  the  loftiest 
religious  sentiments  and  doctrines  are  merely  the 
refined  feeling  and  expression  of  the  barbarous 
guesses  of  primitive  men ;  that  Animalism,  Fetish- 
ism and  Nature-worship  are  the  soil  out  of  which 
the  highest  forms  of  religious  flowers  have  blos- 
somed and  that  the  founders  of  the  great  religions 
are  the  highly  developed  but  lineal  descendants  of 
the  "whirling  medicine  man." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Comparative  Religionists 
maintain  that  the  common  origin  is  one  of  Divine 
Wisdom,  or  Gnosis.  All  religions,  they  say,  origin- 
ate from  the  teachings  of  Divine  Men,  who  con- 
stitute a  great  Brotherhood  of  Spiritual  Teachers, 
and  give  out  from  time  to  time,  to  different  races 
and  nations  of  the  world,  such  parts  of  the  funda- 
mental truths  of  religion  as  are  suited  to  the  needs 
of  the  people. 

They  contend  that  Animalism,  Fetishism,  and 
Nature-worship  are  the  distorted  and  dwarfed  de- 
scendants of  true  religious  belief,  and  that  the 
founders  of  great  religions  are  men  who  have  ad- 
vanced beyond  normal  humanity,  thus  becoming  the 
spiritual  guardians  of  the  race. 

We  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  we  ac- 
cept the  view  of  the  Comparative  Religionists, 
for  the  Scriptures  of  the  various  religions  furnish 
abundant  evidence  that  the  founders  were  advanced 


18  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

men,  and  their  teachings  are  not  surpassed  (or  oft- 
en equaled)  by  later  writers  in  the  same  religions. 
The  Sacred  Books  of  the  East  give  ample  evidence 
of  this  fact ;  while  the  alleged  refining  process  of 
the  Mythologists  is  without  adequate  support. 

We  also  find  among  savages  many  traces  of 
lofty  ideas  which  are  entirely  beyond  their  capacity 
to  originate.  When  we  remember  that  the  savage 
tribes  of  to-day  are  not  our  ancestral  types,  but 
rather  the  degenerate  offspring  of  past  great  na- 
tions, we  begin  to  understand  how  they  came  to 
possess  these  lofty  ideas — they  are  the  faint  remain- 
ing vestiges  of  the  Wisdom  long  ago  imparted  by 
a  great  religious  Teacher.  (Esoteric  Christianity, 
Besant,  Ch.  i.) 

It  is  evident  that  man  in  his  infancy  was  not 
left  to  grow  up  unaided.  There  have  always  been 
Elders  or  Sages  from  whom  the  less  advanced  breth- 
ren received  direction  and  training;  such  ever  stood 
beside  the  earliest  cradle  of  humanity,  and  gave 
to  the  race  the  needed  guidance  and  impulse  toward 
a  higher  ideal  of  civilization. 

The  first  great  Teachers  were  advanced  souls 
from  other  and  still  earlier  systems  of  evolution. 
They  were  the  Adepts  of  the  early  races  who  es- 
tablished upon  this  earth  the  first  great  Occult  Fra- 
ternity. These  lofty  Beings  watched  over  and 
guided  early  mankind;  and  as  men  advanced  and 
became  fitted  for  higher  knowledge  they  were  in- 
structed in  the  nature  of  the  gods,  the  human  soul, 
the  mysteries  of  the  unseen  world,  and  the  process- 
es of  the  world's  continual  evolution.  Such  are 


Origin   and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  19 

the    persistent    and    uncontradictory    facts    in    con- 
nection with  the  Mysteries. 

Religions,  then,  have  their  source  in  the  Occult 
Hierarchy — the  qualified  guardians  of  the  spiritual 
growth  of  the  human  family. 

REASONS    FOR    ESOTERICISM. 

History  has  noted  the  disastrous  results  of  spread- 
ing occult  knowledge  indiscriminately,  and  since  the 
sad  experiences  of  Atlantis,  the  Initiates  have  carefully 
guarded  from  the  unpurified  that  knowledge  which  is 
power.  Therefore,  the  most  rigid  conditions  regarding 
purity,  unselfishness  and  self-control  are  imposed  on 
all  who  seek  the  higher  knowledge.  The  tempta- 
tion to  use  power  for  selfish  ends  is  too  great  to 
entrust  such  knowledge  to  men  of  uncontrolled  desires. 

Another  reason  for  esotericism  is  the  fact  that  re- 
ligions were  given  for  the  purpose  of  quickening 
human  evolution.  Men  are  at  such  various  stages 
of  development,  that  what  will  be  understood  by 
the  philosopher  is  unintelligible  to  another,  and  in 
order  to  reach  and  help  all,  it  is  evident  that  in- 
struction must  be  adapted  to  the  peculiar  needs 
of  each  individual.  The  religious  teachings  must  be 
as  graded  as  evolution  itself — each  must  be  met 
on  their  own  level  and  helped  on  and  on,  from  that 
plain  to  greater  heights  and  broader  views,  all  in 
a  fashion  that  appeals  to  their  unfolding  intellects. 
It  is  due  to  this  fact  that  all  the  great  Teachers 
have  reserved  the  greater  truths  for  those  capable 
of  receiving  and  understanding  them. 


20  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

SECRECY  OF  INITIATES. 

This  has  been  the  method  of  all  great  instructors. 
Initiates  of  all  ages  have  maintained  a  profound 
silence  concerning  the  truths  learned  in  the  Mys- 
teries. From  Orpheus,  the  first  Initiate,  of  whom 
history  catches  a  glimpse,  to  Pythagoras,  Con- 
fucius, Buddha,  Apollonius,  Jesus,  Saccus,  no 
Teacher  ever  committed  anything  to  writing  for 
indiscriminate  public  use. 

Herodotus,  in  speaking  of  the  reasons  why  ani- 
mals were  worshipped,  says:  "If  I  were  to  explain 
these  reasons,  I  should  be  led  to  the  disclosure  of 
these  holy  matters,  which  I  particularly  wish  to 
avoid,"  and  again  in  other  matters,  "Concerning 
these,  at  the  same  time  that  I  confess  myself  suf- 
ficiently informed,  I  feel  myself  compelled  to  be  sil- 
ent. Of  the  ceremonies  also  in  honor  of  Ceres,  I 
may  not  venture  to  speak,  further  than  the  obliga- 
tions of  religion  will  allow  me." 

Jesus  charged  his  disciples  that  they  tell  no 
man  that  he  was  the  Christ,  also  saying,  "Give  not 
that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs,  neither  cast  ye 
your  pearls  before  swine;  lest  they  trample  them 
under  their  feet  and  turn  again  and  rend  you."  He 
surely  had  good  reason  for  his  secrecy.  Many  have 
learned  the  wisdom  of  these  words  when  too  late; 
Anaxagoras,  Pythagoras,  and  Socrates,  are  'notable 
examples. 

The  great  Teachers  instructed  their  chosen  dis- 
ciples in  the  higher  knowledge  and  propagated 
these  truths  in  allegories  and  parables.  "All  that 
can  be  said  concerning  the  Gods,"  says  Strabo, 
"must  be  by  exposition  of  old  opinions  and  fables; 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  21 

it  being  the  custom  of  the  ancients  to  wrap  up  in 
images  and  allegory  their  thoughts  and  discoveries 
concerning  nature." 

Pythagoras,  the  great  mathematical  Mason,  di- 
vided his  classes  into  the  exoteric  and  esoteric,  and 
his  secrets  were  forbidden  to  be  committed  to  writ- 
ing. 

The  Society  of  the  Essenes,  among  whom  were 
St.  John  the  Baptist  and  St.  John  the  Evangelist, 
made  similar  distinctions;  dividing  their  adherents 
into  Neophytes,  Brethren,  and  Perfect,  while  Am- 
monius  Saccus  obliged  his  disciples  by  oath  not  to 
divulge  his  doctrines,  except  to  those  who  had  been 
thoroughly  instructed  and  prepared. 

In  Egypt  we  find  the  same  method  in  practice, 
for  Clement  says,  "The  Egyptians  did  not  entrust 
the  mysteries  they  possessed  to  all  and  sundry,  and 
did  not  divulge  the  knowledge  of  divine  things  to 
the  profane."  He  also  informs  us  that  the  sphinxes 
erected  in  front  of  the  temples  and  places  of  In- 
itiation denoted  silence  and  secrecy — that  all  sac- 
red truth  is  enfolded  in  symbolical  fables  and  al- 
legories— and  he  says  of  the  Mysteries,  "Those  who 
instituted  the  Mysteries,  being  philosophers,  buried 
their  doctrines  in  myths,  so  as  not  to  be  obvious 
to  all."  (The  Stromata,  Book  V,  Ch.  VII,  Ch.  IX.) 

The  Sages  of  Greece,  according  to  Pausanias, 
"Never  wrote  otherwise  than  in  an  enigmatical 
manner."  They  concealed  their  knowledge  under 
the  veil  of  fiction  and  so  taught  that  the  vulgar 
might  not  comprehend.  The  typical  Hermes  as- 
sembled his  disciples  in  a  holy  place  or  shrine  where 


22  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

strict  secrecy  was  imposed.  In  the  Perfect  Sermon 
he  says,  "And  ye,  O  Tat,  Asclepius  and  Ammon, 
in  silence  hide  the  mysteries  divine  within  the  se- 
cret places  of  your  hearts,  and  breathe  no  word  of 
their  concealment."  This  was  the  universal  pro- 
cedure. 

Says  Wm.  R.  Singleton,  33d  degree,  Past  Grand 
Secretary,  Grand  Lodge  of  the  District  of  Columbia: 
"The  wisdom  of  the  Chaldeans,  Phoenicians,  Egyp- 
tions,  Jews  of  Zoroaster,  Sanconiathon,  Pherecydes, 
Syrus,  Pythagoras,  Socrates,  Plato ;  of  all  the  ancients, 
that  is  come  to  our  hand,  is  symbolic.  ...  In  the 
method  explaining  the  various  symbols,  religion  and 
philosophy  were  veiled  in  allegoric  representations. 
These  symbols  were  displayed  openly  in 
the  temples  ....  to  the  profane  altogether 
obscure,  but  streaming  with  beams  of  light  to  the 
Initiated."  (History  of  Freemasonry  and  Con- 
cordant Orders,  p.  83.) 

OCCULT    SYSTEMS    OF    WRITING. 

There  were  various  methods  employed  by  the 
teachers  to  convey  and  yet  conceal  the  truths  of 
the  Mysteries.  The  three  main  Kabbalistic  sys- 
tems are  the  Gematria,  which  is  based  on  the  nu- 
merical value  of  words — applying  to  the  letters  of 
a  word  the  sense  they  bear  as  numbers ;  the  Temu- 
ra,  by  which  a  word  yields  its  mystery  by  anagram 
— the  transposition  of  the  letters— and  the  Notari- 
con,  which  may  be  compared  to  stenography.  The 
system  of  number-letters  was  derived  from  Chal- 
dea  by  the  Hebrews  during  and  subsequent  to  their 
captivity.  The  Chaldeans  worked  out  their  cos- 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  23 

mogonies  and  anthropogeneses  in  numbers,  their 
sacred  books  were  written  with  this  object  in  view; 
Pythagoras  had  a  number-philosophy,  which  in  all 
probability  held  many  resemblances  to  the  number- 
books  of  Chaldea ;  this  method  was  developed  to  a 
great  extent  by  the  Hellenising  tendencies  of  the 
cultured  Rabbis  of  Alexandria.  The  Gnostics  also 
made  much  use  of  this  number-symbolism — the 
system  of  Marcus  being  quite  elaborate,  and  the 
books  of  Hermes  are  probably  the  oldest  repositor- 
ies of  number-symbolism  in  western  civilization. 

Closely  connected  with  this  was  Geometrical 
symbolism,  which  was  also  used  by  Pythagoras — 
the  square,  triangle,  point  within  the  circle,  cube, 
double  triangle,  47th.  problem  of  Euclid,  etc.,  the 
geometrical  figures  representing  the  numbers  ob- 
jectively. In  every  cosmology  from  the  earliest 
times  we  find  the  basic  idea  combining  numerical 
geometrical  figures. 

There  is  also  the  allegorical  method — a  setting 
forth  of  truth  in  the  form  of  myths,  or  parables, 
and  furthermore,  the  secret  sacerdotal  tongue,  the 
Senzar,  which  was  known  to  the  Initiates  of  every 
nation.  Then  to  rightly  read  the  world's  Script- 
ures one  must  have  the  keys  to  all  these  various 
systems. 

OBJECT  OF   THE    MYSTERIES. 

The  object  of  the  Mysteries  was  the  instruction 
and  development  of  man.  They  were  the  work  of 
genius  employing  the  sciences  and  a  profound 
knowledge  of  the  human  heart  in  the  task  of  puri- 


24  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

fying  the  soul,  and  seeking  man's  felicity  by  the 
means  of  virtue.  Great  emphasis  was  laid  upon 
man's  immortality,  and  the  object  and  purpose  of 
the  Mysteries  was  to  fit  him  for  a  blessed  state 
beyond.  Thus  these  mysteries  taught  the  condi- 
tion of  the  postmortem  state,  and  strove  to  develop 
in  the  candidate  the  powers  that  would  enable  him 
to  verify  the  instruction,  for,  himself. 

Antiquity  had  held  that  there  was  a  science  of 
the  soul,  a  knowledge  of  things  unseen,  a  Gnosis; 
and  now  that  the  possibility  of  extending  the 
bounds  of  consciousness  beyond  the  physical  plane 
has  been  proven  by  many  experiments  in  psychism, 
the  claim  of  the  Mysteries  is  not  beyond  rational 
belief.  That  the  ego  may  transcend  the  limits  of  the 
body  and  become  conscious  on  the  higher  planes 
of  nature  verifies  the  truth  of  the  mysteries  of  all 
ages  and  proves  that  nature's  God,  in  infinite  wis- 
dom, through  the  constant  progress  or  development 
of  his  children,  is  initiating  them  from  every  field  of 
labor  to  aid  in  his  mighty  work. 

The  higher  instruction  was  not  only  given  by 
perfected  Initiates  who  could  function  on  the  higher 
planes,  but  the  assistance  of  angelic  hierarchies  was 
also  invoked  and  those  exalted  Beings  came  to 
teach  and  elevate  by  their  presence.  lamblichus, 
the  great  Theurgist  of  the  third  and  fourth  cen- 
turies A.  D.  says,  "The  Gods  [these  Beings  are 
not  Gods  in  the  Western  sense  of  the  term  but 
Angels,  or  Devas;  Plato  calls  them  the  'Minor 
Gods'  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Supreme]  "be- 
ing benevolent  and  propitious,  impart  their  light  to 
Theurgists  in  unvarying  abundance,  calling  up- 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  25 

ward  their  souls  ta  themselves,  procuring  for  them 
a  union  with  themselves,  and  accustoming  them, 
while  they  are  yet  in  body,  to  be  separate  from 
bodies,  and  to  be  led  around  to  their  eternal  and  in- 
telligible principle."  For  "the  soul  having  a  twofold 
life,  one  being  in  conjunction  with  body  but  the  other 
being  separate  from  all  body,"  it  is  most  necessary 
to  learn  to  separate  from  the  body,  that  thus  it  may 
unite  with  the  Gods  and  learn  the  truths  of  the 
intelligible  world.  (Esoteric  Christianity,  p.  24,  25.) 

The  consummation  of  all  this  was  to  make  the 
Initiate  a  God,  either  by  union  with  a  Divine  Being 
without  or  by  the  realization  of  the  Divine  Self 
within. 

Sallust  says  that  the  object  of  the  ceremonies  of 
Initiation  was  to  unite  man  with  the  world  and 
Deity.  The  Initiate  claimed  that  the  soul  puri- 
fied from  all  stain,  could  see  the  Gods  in  this  life — 
that  is,  could  attain  the  beatific  vision,  and  hold 
communion  with  the  Immortals.  Prof.  Harnick  re- 
marks that  deification  was  the  idea  of  salvation 
taught  in  the  Mysteries. 

The  Greek  Neo-platonists  called  this  state  "The- 
ophany,"  which  means  either  communication  be- 
tween the  Gods  or  God  and  those  Initiated  mortals 
who  are  spiritually  fit  to  enjoy  such  intercourse; 
or  the  presence  of  a  God  in  man,  an  incarnation  or 
blending  of  the  personal  Deity;  the  Higher  self 
with  the  lower  self — its  representative  on  earth. 

Plotinus  defines  this  state  as  "The  liberation  of 
the  mind  from  its  finite  consciousness,  becoming  one 
and  identified  with  the  Infinite."  The  length  and 


26  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

frequency  of  this  sublime  condition  depends  upon 
the  spiritual  development.     Proclus  claims  to  have 
experienced  this  ecstasy  six  times  during  his  mystic 
life ;  Plotinus  states  that  he  had  reached  this  state 
"but  three  times  as  yet ;"  Porphyry  asserts  that  Ap- 
polonius    attained    this    state    four    times,    while    he 
experienced   it    but   once,    and    that   after   he   was 
sixty  years  of  age.     This  illumination   may  come 
and  go  as  a  flash,  or  it  may  last  for  hours.     With 
the  high  Initiates,  the  Word  is  really  made  flesh, 
the   union   complete,   and    its   duration   continuous 
throughput  life.     The  Mysteries  were  as  a  training 
school  to  this  end.     Philo  in  speaking  of  the  Divine 
Vision  says,  "It  is  the  special  gift  of  those  who 
dedicate  themselves  to  the  service  of  That-which-is- 
.     .    .     .    to  ascend  by  means  of  their  rational  facul- 
ties to  the  height  of  the  aether,  setting  before  them- 
selves 'Moses'— the  Race  that  is  the   friend  of  God 
(The  Race  of  the  Logos)  as  the  leader  of  the  way 
.     .     .     .    the  work  of  philosophy  is  naught  else  than 
the  striving  clearly  to  see  these  things." 

Proclus  also  says,  "In  all  the  Initiations  and  Mys- 
teries, the  Gods  exhibit  many  forms  of  themselves, 
and  appear  in  a  variety  of  shapes ;  and  sometimes, 
indeed  a  formless  light  of  themselves  is  held  forth 
to  the  view ;  sometimes  this  light  is  according  to 
a  human  form  and  sometimes  it  proceeds  into  a 
different  shape."  (Quoted  in  Eleusinian  and  Bacchic 
Mysteries,  Taylor,  p.  66.) 

Taylor  too,  correctly  infers,  "The  most  sublime 
part  of  the  epopteia  or  final  revealing,  consisted  in 
beholding  the  Gods  [high  planetary  spirits]  them- 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  27 

selves,  invested  with  a  resplendent  light."     (Ibid,  or 
same  book,  p.  65.) 

In  Plato's  Phaedo,  Socrates  is  made  to  say,  "Those 
who  instituted  the  Mysteries  for  us  appear  to  have 
been  by  no  means  contemptible,  but  in  reality  to  have 
intimated  long  since  that  whoever  shall  arrive  in 
Hades  unexpiated  and  uninitiated  shall  lie  in  mud  [a 
symbol  of  the  gloomy  surroundings  of  the  lowest  reg- 
ion of  the  astral  world],  but  he  that  arrives  there 
purified  and  Initiated,  shall  dwell  with  the  gods." 
(Plato,  Cory's  Translation,  Vol.  I,  p.  68.)  Again  in 
Phaedrus,  Plato  says,  "Initiated  into  that  which  may 
be  rightly  called  the  most  blessed  of  all  Mysteries, 
which  we  celebrated  when  we  were  whole  and  un- 
affected by  the  evils  that  awaited  us  in  time  to  come, 
and  moreover  when  we  were  initiated  in,  and  beheld 
in  the  pure  light,  perfect,  simple,  calm,  and  blessed 
visions,  being  ourselves  pure,  and  as  yet  unmasked 
with  this  which  we  now  carry  about  with  us  and  call 
the  body,  fettered  to  it  like  an  oyster  to  its  shell." 
(Ibid,  p.  326.) 

If  we  admit  the  existence  of  faculties  in  man 
capable  of  piercing-  the  veil  of  matter,  we  shall  find 
no  reason  for  rejecting  the  plain  evidence  of  ancient 
writers  that  the  Mysteries  were  associated  with  a 
psychic  and  spiritual  revelation. 

Hermes  in  his  sermons  has  much  to  say  on  the 
Gnosis.  Gnosis  of  God  is  the  science  of  sciences. 
In  "The  Key"  he  tells  us  that  "The  distinctive  fea- 
ture of  Good  (God)  is  that  it  should  be  known." 
This  is  the  "Vision  Glorious."  As  stated  by  Mead 
in  his  commentary,  "This  consummation  of  Ecstasis 


28  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

(the  extension  of  consciousness),  we  are  told,  was 
a  transcending  of  the  limitations  of  body,  and  was 
a  faculty  possessed  by  the  forbears  of  the  'race' 
into  which  Hermes  and  now  Tat  are  being  born." 
(Thrice  Greatest  Hermes,  Vol.  II,  p.  162.)  The 
nature  of  Ecstasy  is  further  explained  as  the  fruit 
of  meditation  and  contemplation.  "The  Gnosis  of 
the  Good  is  holy  silence  and  a  giving  holiday  to 
every  sense."  This  is  in  accord  with  the  Yoga 
of  the  Upanishads,  which  shows  identity  of  thought 
of  those  who  have  had  first  hand  experience. 
Hermes  proceeds,  "For  it  is  possible,  my  son,  that 
a  man's  soul  should  be  made  like  to  God,  e'en  while 
it  still  is  in  a  body,  if  it  doth  contemplate  the 
Beauty  of  the  Good."  This  is  the  true  deification  or 
apotheosis — Man  is  like  God  in  that  he  becomes  a 
God.  The  result  of  the  evolution  of  the  soul  was 
the  attainment  unto  the  "first  steps  of  deathless- 
ness,"  spoken  of  by  Paul  as  the  "resurrection  of 
the  dead."  "The  soul's  vice,"  says  Hermes,  "is 
ignorance  ....  But  on  the  other  hand,  the 
virtue  of  the  soul  is  Gnosis.  For  he  who  knows,  he 
good  and  pious  is,  and  still  while  on  the  earth  divine." 
Here  we  have  the  attainment  of  the  divine  state, 
that  of  Adeptship  while  still  in  the  body. 

Proclus  held  that  Initiation  elevated  the  soul, 
from  a  material,  sensual,  and  purely  human  life, 
to  a  communion  and  celestial  intercourse  with  the 
Gods;  and  that  a  variety  of  things,  forms,  and 
species  were  shown  to  Initiates,  representing  the 
first  generation  of  the  Gods. 

In  speaking  of  Petosiris,  Proclus  tells  us  that  this 
Egyptian  Philosopher  had  an  intimate  knowledge 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  29 

of  every  order  of  the  Gods  and  Angels,  and  refers  to 
a  hieratic  formula  of  theurgic  invocation  to  the 
greatest  of  the  goddesses  (Necessity),  for  inducing 
the  vision  of  this  power.  Valens  tells  us  of  Nechep- 
so  who  attained  to  direct  knowledge  of  the  Inner 
Way.  Vettius,  in  the  first  half  of  the  first  century 
A.  D.  laments  that  he  did  not  live  in  those  days  of 
Initiate  Kings,  Rulers  and  Sages  who  occupied  them- 
selves with  the  Sacred  Science.  In  those  days  so 
great  was  their  love  for  the  holy  mysteries,  so  high 
their  virtue,  that  they  left  the  earth  below  them, 
and  in  their  deathless  souls  became  "heaven  walk- 
ers" and  knowers  of  things  divine.  Vettius  also 
quotes  a  Greek  apocalyptic  treatise  of  Nechepso 
where  the  king  tells  us  that  he  had  remained  in 
contemplation  all  night  gazing  into  the  aether;  and 
so  in  ecstasy  he  left  his  body  and  had  then  heard 
a  heavenly  Voice  addressing  him.  This  Voice  was 
not  merely  a  sound,  but  appeared  as  a  substantial 
presence,  who  guided  Nechepso  on  his  way  through 
the  heavenly  space.  (Thrice  Greatest  Hermes,  Vol. 
I,  p.  101.) 

Cicero  considered  the  establishment  of  the  Eleu- 
sinian  Mysteries  to  be  the  greatest  of  all  benefits 
conferred  by  Athens  on  other  commonwealths; 
their  effect  having  been  to  civilize  men,  soften 
savage  ferocious  manners,  and  teach  them  the  true 
principles  of  morality,  which  initiate  man  into  the 
only  kind  of  life  worthy  of  him.  (Cicero  cited  in 
Morals  and  Dogma,  p.  380.)  The  Mysteries  pro- 
cured for  man  a  real  felicity  on  earth  by  means  of 
virtue.  He  was  taught  the  immortality  of  the  soul 
and  the  inflexible  laws  of  divine  justice,  and  the 


30  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

great  moral  precepts  were  made  known  'not  only  to 
the  Initiates  but  also  to  the  profane.  The  Mys- 
teries pointed  out  to  men  the  way  to  "live  better 
and  die  happier;"  but,  as  we  have  seen,  the  object 
of  the  Mysteries  was  not  merely  to  teach  morality, 
for  as  Gen.  Pike  well  says,  "Had  moral  truths 
alone  been  taught  the  Initiates,  the  Mysteries  could 
never  have  deserved  nor  received  the  magnificent 
eulogiums  of  the  most  enlightened  men  of  An- 
tiquity— of  Pindar,  Plutarch,  Isocrates,  Diodorus, 
Plato,  Euripides,  Socrates,  Aristophanes,  Cicero, 
Epictetus,  Marcus  Aurelius,  and  others:  philosophers 
hostile  to  the  Sacredotal  Spirit,  or  historians  devoted 
to  the  investigation  of  Truth.  No:  all  the  sciences 
were  taught  there;  and  those  oral  or  written  tradi- 
tions briefly  communicated,  which  reached  back  to  the 
first  age  of  the  world."  (Ibid,  p  373.) 

The  object  of  the  Mysteries,  then,  was  to  instruct 
men  in  the  real  science  of  being,  and  to  lead  them 
up  the  stairway  to  perfection — to  the  superhuman 
stage — to  the  Christ  and  that  which  transcends 
even  perfect  Masterhood. 

In  this  way  they  sought  to  purify  the  soul,  hold- 
ing that  the  true  home  of  the  soul  was  in  the  high- 
er spheres,  the  earth  a  place  of  exile,  and  that  to 
return  to  its  birthplace  the  soul  must  free  itself 
from  the  power  of  the  world — must  be  emancipated 
from  the  passions  and  the  hindrances  of  the  senses. 
The  Mysteries  taught  men  how  to  attain  the  do- 
minion of  the  soul,  which  was  absolutely  necessary 
as  "We  must  flee  from  everything  sensual,"  says 
Porphyry,  "that  the  soul  may  with  ease  reunite 
itself  with  God." 


Origin  and  Object  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  31 

Thus  the  Mysteries  sought  to  sanctify  men,  to 
illuminate  their  souls  and  fit  them  to  return  con- 
sciously to  union  with  the  Deity.  The  Gnostics  all 
claimed  that  a  man  could  so  perfect  himself  that  he 
would  become  a  conscious  worker  with  the  Logos. 
The  object  of  the  Mysteries,  then,  was  not  only  to 
teach  the  unity  of  God  and  the  immortality  of  the 
soul,  as  Warburton,  Mackey  and  other  Masonic 
writers  contend,  but  to  enable  each  man  to  verify 
these  great  spiritual  facts  for  himself. 

These  citations  from  the  ancient  classic  writers 
and  philosophers  regarding  the  Mysteries  might  be 
greatly  extended,  but  this  will  suffice  to  show  the 
reverence  and  admiration  in  which  the  Mysteries 
were -held.  Would  these  Mysteries  have  received 
such  high  praise  had  they  not  known  them  to  be  of 
divine  origin?  As  has  been  well  said,  "When  men 
like  Pythagoras,  Plato,  and  lamblichus,  renowned 
for  their  severe  morality,  took  part  in  the  Mysteries 
and  spoke  of  them  with  veneration  it  ill  behooves 
our  modern  critics  to  judge  them  upon  their  merely 
external  aspects."  Many  have  accepted  without 
question  certain  derogatory  statements  of  the  early 
Christian  Apologists  concerning  the  Mysteries, 
without  taking  into  consideration  the  fact  that  the 
writers  were  animated  by  the  spirit  of  bitter  con- 
troversy. Due  allowance  should  be  made  for  this, 
placing  such  statements  in  the  same  category  as 
those  of  the  Pagans,  when  they  charge  the  Chris- 
tians with  being  Atheists,  and  practicing  shameful 
rites. 

To  suppose  that  the  Mysteries  were  the  invention 
of  charlatanism  is  the  height  of  absurdity.     True, 


32  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

they  degenerated  in  the  lapse  of  time  as  did  the 
Christian  Agape  but  in  the  beginning  and  for  long 
ages  they  were  pure  and  noble,  and  the  wisest  and 
best  men  of  antiquity  were  not  wilful  falsifiers. 

The  Mysteries  were  truly  the  greatest  institutions 
of  ancient  times.  They  contained  all  that  was  most 
profound  in  philosophy  and  most  spiritual  in  religion. 

Such  were  the  Ancient  Mysteries  of  which  Ma- 
sonry is  the  successor. 


LECTURE  II. 

THE  EGYPTIAN,  HINDU,  AND  PERSIAN 
MYSTERIES. 

Undoubtedly  the  ceremonies  of  Initiation  were  orig- 
inally few,  and  all  were  intended  to  symbolize  the 
progress  of  the  human  soul — they  were  the  outward 
signs  of  an  inward  fact.  Initiation,  as  we  shall  see 
in  a  subsequent  lecture,  was  regeneration — a  real 
spiritual  "new  becoming"  or  re-birth.  The  candidate 
himself  became  the  thing  symbolized — Hermes,  Budd- 
ha, Christ,  etc.  This  state  was  the  result  of  real  In- 
itiation— an  evolution  of  the  human  into  the  divine. 

In  the  course  of  time  this  spiritual  truth  was  neg- 
lected and  initiation  no  longer  meant  spiritual  re- 
generation, and  the  rites  no  longer  typified  the  va- 
rious stages  of  the  soul's  progress — the  mystic  birth, 
death,  and  resurrection.  The  key  to  the  spiritual 
science  was  forgotten, — the  Master's  Word  "lost," — 
and  Initiation  consisted  merely  in  imparting  to  the 
candidate  the  traditional  knowledge  of  the  symbols 
as  handed  down  from  time  immemorial,  and  gradu- 
ally the  true  meaning  of  the  symbols  disappeared,  and 
even  the  symbols  themselves  were  transformed  into 
crude  dogmas. 

THE  CEREMONIES  OF  INITIATION. 

The  Ancient  Mysteries  were  divided  into  two  stages 
— the  Probationary  Path  and  the  Advanced  or  Path 


34  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Proper.  In  most  schools  the  Probationary  Path  was 
merely  preliminary,  but,  as  some  schools  began  with 
the  preliminary  in  numbering  the  stages  or  divisions, 
one  needs  be  on  guard  to  avoid  misunderstandings. 
Others,  as  in  Greece,  divided  their  Mysteries  into  the 
Lesser  and  the  Greater.  Beyond  which  there  was 
the  True  Mystery  of  the  Path.  (In  other  systems  the 
True  and  the  Greater  Mysteries  were  undoubtedly  the 
same.) 

The  higher  evolution,  belonged  to  the  True  or  Real 
Mysteries,  to  which  all  others  led.  A  Neophyte  was 
compelled  to  be  proficient  along  these  lines  before  he 
was  allowed  to  take  the  real  Initiation  and  enter  upon 
the  Path  proper,  which  will  be  considered  in  a  subse- 
quent lecture.  There  were  outer  forms  and  ceremo- 
nies which  stood  for  and  symbolized  the  True  Mys- 
teries, but  little  was  known  of  their  inner  nature  ex- 
cept by  those  who  experienced  them. 

The  ceremonies  were  undoubtedly  altered  in  the 
course  of  time,  but  even  in  the  days  of  the  greatest 
deterioration  we  find  traces  of  the  hidden  wisdom  in 
connection  with  the  ancient  symbols — some  of  which 
have  survived,  and  are  to  be  found  in  Modern  Ma- 
sonry. 

THE    EGYPTIAN    MYSTERIES. 

The  learned  Greek  Plutarch,  himself  an  Initiate 
into  the  Osireaca,  of  which  there  was  probably  a 
thiasos  at  Delphi,  gives  much  valuable  information 
regarding  the  Mysteries  of  Egypt.  Of  course,  he 
could  only  give  hints,  for,  as  he  says,  in  speaking  of 
the  Priests,  "Their  philosophy — which  for  the  most 
part  was  hidden  in  myths  and  words  (logoi)  contain- 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  3S 

ing  dim  reflections  and  transparencies  of  truth,  as, 
doubtless,  they  themselves  make  indirectly  plain  by 
fitly  setting  sphynxes  up  before  the  temples,  as  though 
their  reasoning  about  the  Gods  possessed  a  wisdom 
wrapped  in  riddle.  .  .  So  great,  then,  was  the  care 
Egyptians  took  about  the  wisdom  which  concerned  the 
mysteries  of  the  Gods.  And  the  most  wise  of  the 
Greeks  also  are  witnesses — Solon,  Thales,  Plato, 
Eudoxus,  Pythagoras,  and  as  some  say,  Lycurgus  as 
well — through  coming  to  Egypt  and  associating  with 
her  priests,"  and  "brought  back  to  the  memory  of  his 
men  their  symbolic  and  mysterious  [art],  containing 
their  dogmas  in  dark  sayings.  .  .  .  When,  therefore, 
thou  nearest  the  myth-sayings  of  the  Egyptians  con- 
cerning the  Gods — wanderings  and  dismemberings, 
and  many  such  passions — thou  shouldst  remember 
what  has  been  said  above  and  think  none  of  these 
things  spoken  as  they  [really]  are  in  state  and  action." 
(Plutarch:  Concerning  the  Mysteries  of  Isis  and 
Osiris,  Sec.  IX,  X,  XL}  This  is  true  not  only  of  the 
Egyptian  myths  but  of  all  others. 

Plutarch  then  sets  forth  the  Osiris  and  Isis  Mys- 
tery-Myth. It  begins  with  the  birth  of  the  Gods — 
Osiris,  the  Elder  Horus,  Typhon,  Isis,  etc.  Osiris 
and  Isis  being  in  love  with  each  other  were  united. 
They  ruled  over  Egypt  for  many  years  but  finally 
the  malicious  Typhon,  his  evil  brother,  while  filled 
with  envy  sought  his  destruction.  He  devised  a  beau- 
tiful chest,  and  having  it  brought  into  the  banquet 
haJl,  promised  to  give  it  to  any  one  whom  it  would 
exactly  fit.  Osiris  stepped  in  and  laid  down,  where- 
upon they  who  were  present  rushed  up  and  put  on 
the  lid  and  fastened  it  down,  and  carried  the  chest 


36  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

to  the  river  Nile,  whence  it  was  borne  out  on  the 
flood  to  the  sea.  When  Isis  heard  what  had  been 
done  she  set  forth  in  search  of  the  chest,  which,  mean- 
while, had  been  carried  by  the  waves  to  the  Byblos 
country,  where  the  land-wash  brought  it  to  rest  in  a 
certain  heather  bush  or  tamarisk  tree,  a  species  of 
acacia.  This  bush  grew  around,  enfolded  and  hid  it 
entirely  within  itself.  The  King  Malkander  mar- 
velled at  the  greatness  of  the  tree,  and  cut  it  down 
and  made  of  it  a  prop  in  the  form  of  a  pillar  for  his 
roof,  but  Isis  having  found  trace  of  the  chest  and 
its  disposition  through  Anubis  and  the  daemonean 
spirit  of  a  voice,  came  also  to  Byblos  and  sitting  down 
by  a  fountain  head  showed  attention  to  the  maids  of 
the  Queen,  dressing  their  hair  with  ambrosia,  thus 
securing  an  invitation  to  the  palace,  where  she  became 
nurse  of  the  Queen's  little  child;  then  finding  time 
ripe  to  reveal  herself,  the  Goddess  claimed  for  her 
own  the  pillar  of  the  roof,  and  taking  it  down,  she 
cut  the  tree  from  around  the  coffin  and  placing  the 
chest  in  a  boat,  carried  the  body  to  her  son  Horus, 
who  concealed  it  in  a  deep  forest.  But  Typhon  while 
out  hunting  came  upon  it,  and  recognizing  the  body 
as  that  of  Osiris,  tore  it  into  fourteen  parts,  and  scat- 
tered them  abroad.  Isis,  hearing  what  had  been  done, 
sought  to  recover  the  parts,  and  succeeded  in  finding 
all  but  one,  which  had  been  cast  into  the  river  and 
eaten  by  the  fishes.  Horus  then  fought  Typhon  and 
overpowered  him,  when  it  was  proclaimed  that  Osiris 
had  risen  from  the  dead. 

This  is  merely  an  outline  of  the  myth.  It  has  a 
macrocosmic  and  microcosmic  meaning.  In  the  for- 
mer sense,  Osiris  and  Isis  are  cosmic  or  super-cosmic 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  37 

beings,  symbolized  by  the  sun  and  moon,  and  the 
elder  and  younger  Horus  are  the  Intelligible  and 
Sensible  Worlds.  Microcosmically  the  Myth  per- 
tains to  the  mystery  of  Initiation — the  Horus  or 
Christ  stage  of  manhood.  In  this  latter  aspect  it 
symbolizes  the  mystic  life  of  the  Initiate. 

In  regard  to  Initiation  Plutarch  says,  "When  the 
Initiates  of  Isis  at  their  'death'  are  adorned  in  these 
[robes],  it  is  a  symbol  that  this  Reason  (Logos),  is 
with  them;  and  with  Him  and  naught  else  they  go 
there  [or  walk  there,  that  is,  in  Hades, — the  death 
here  mentioned  is  the  mystic  death  unto  sin].  For 
it  is  not  the  growing  beard  and  wearing  cloak  that 
makes  philosophers,  O  Klea,  not  clothing  in  linen 
and  shaving  oneself  that  makes  Initiates  of  Isis;  but 
a  true  Isiac  is  one  who,  when  he  by  law  receives  them 
searches  out  by  reason  (Logos)  the  [Mysteries] 
shown  and  done  concerning  these  Gods  and  meditates 
upon  the  truth  in  them."  (Ibid,  Sec.  in.) 

This  Mystery  rite  is  referred  to  by  Epiphanius  as 
solemnized  in  the  Temple  of  Isis  who  is  called  the 
Virgin  Mother,  or  World  Virgin.  In  speaking  of 
the  Feast  of  Epiphany,  which  was  a  great  day  in 
Egypt  connected  with  the  birth  of  the  Aeon  (a  phase 
of  the  birth  of  Horus)  he  says,  "Indeed,  the  leaders 
of  the  idol-cults,  filled  with  wiles  to  deceive  the  idol 
worshippers  who  believe  in  them,  in  many  places  keep 
highest  festival  on  this  same  night  of  Epiphany  (the 
manifestation  of  Light),  so  that  they  whose  hopes 
are  in  error  may  not  seek  the  truth.  For  instance, 
at  Alexandria,  in  the  Koreion,  as  it  is  called  an  im- 
mense temple — that  is  to  say,  the  precinct  of  the  vir- 
gin ;  after  they  have  kept  all  night  vigil  with  song  and 


38  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

music,  chanting  to  their  idol,  when  the  vigil  is  over  at 
cock-crow,  they  descend  with  lights  into  an  under- 
ground crypt,  and  carry  up  a  wooden  image  lying 
naked  on  a  litter,  with  the  seal  of  a  cross  made  in 
gold  on  its  forehead,  and  on  either  hand  two  similar 
seals,  and  on  both  knees  two  others,  all  five  seals  being 
similarly  made  in  gold.  And  they  carry  around  the 
image  itself,  circumambulating  seven  times  the  inner- 
most temple,  to  the  accompaniment  of  pipes,  tabors, 
and  hymns,  and  with  merry-making  they  carry  it 
down  again  underground.  And  if  they  are  asked  the 
meaning  of  this  mystery,  they  answer  and  say:  'To- 
day at  this  hour  the  Maiden  (Kore),  that  is,  the  Vir- 
gin, gave  birth  to  the  Aeon.'  In  the  city  of  Petra 
also,  the  same  is  done,  and  they  sing  the  praises  of  the 
Virgin  ....  and  him  who  is  born  from  her, 
Dusares,  that  is,  Alone  Begotten  of  the  Lord.  This 
also  takes  place  in  the  city  of  Elousa  on  the  same 
night  just  as  at  Petra  and  at  Alexandria." 

Epiphanius  as  an  outsider  could  not  be  expected  to 
understand  the  rites  he  describes,  and  as  a  narrow 
bigot  he  could  not  be  expected  to  deal  with  them  fair- 
ly. But  the  importance  of  the  passage  is  the  testi- 
mony it  bears  to  the  fact  that  one  of  the  most  wide- 
spread mystic  festivals  was  connected  with  a  "rite  of 
resurrection."  You  notice  here  the  "crowing  of  the 
cock"  which  is  connected  with  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus, 
and  the  cross  marked  on  the  forehead,  hands,  and 
knees  or  feet  of  the  image,  or  the  one  who  has  re- 
turned from  the  Underworld  (Hades). 

Epiphanius  tells  us  that  the  mystic  rite  represents 
a  macrocosmic  mystery.  Very  true,  but  it  also  rep- 
resents a  microcosmic  mystery.  The  mystic  birth, 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  39 

death,  and  resurrection,  were  familiar  to  all  the  schools 
and  communities  of  ancient  times,  and  the  mystic 
"rising  again  from  the  dead"  was  an  integral  part  of 
the  universal  mystic-drama. 

The  Initiations  of  Egypt  are  described  by  C.  W. 
Leadbeater,  a  well  known  theosophical  writer,  as  fol- 
lows: "The  candidate  was  attired  in  a  white-robe, 
emblematic  of  the  purity  which  was  expected,  and 
brought  before  a  conclave  of  priest-initiates  in  a  sort 
of  vault  or  cavern.  He  was  first  formally  tested  as 
to  the  development  of  the  clairvoyant  faculty  which 
he  had  been  previously  instructed  how  to  awaken, 
and  for  this  purpose  had  to  read  an  inscription  upon 
a  brazen  shield,  of  which  the  blank  side  was  pre- 
sented to  his  physical  vision.  Later  he  was  left  alone 
to  keep  a  kind  of  vigil.  Certain  mantrams,  or  words 
of  power,  had  been  taught  him,  which  were  supposed 
to  be  appropriate  to  control  a  certain  class  of  entities. 
.  .  .  Other  ceremonies  of  the  Egyptian  Mysteries 
are  of  interest.  ...  At  one  stage  of  his  advance- 
ment the  candidate  laid  himself  upon  a  curiously  hol- 
lowed wooden  cross  and,  after  certain  ceremonies,  was 
entranced.  His  body  was  then  carried  down  into  the 
vaults  underneath  the  temple  or  pyramid,  while  he 
himself  'descended  into  Hades,'  or  the  underworld — 
that  is  to  say,  in  our  modern  nomenclature, 
he  passed  on  to  the  astral  plane.  Here  he 
had  many  experiences,  part  of  his  work  being 
to  'preach  to  the  spirits  in  prison ;'  for  he 
remained  in  that  trance  condition  three  days  and 
three  nights,  which  typified  the  three  rounds  and 
the  intervals  between  them,  during  which  man  was  go- 
ing through  the  earlier  part  of  his  evolution,  and  de- 


40  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

scending  into  matter.  Then  after  'three  days  and 
three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth/  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  fourth  day,  'he  rose  again  from  the  dead,' 
that  is  ....  his  body  was  brought  back  from  the 
vault,  and  so  placed  that  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun 
fell  upon  his  face  and  he  awoke.  This  symbolizes  the 
awakening  of  man  in  the  fourth  round,  and  the  com- 
mencement of  his  ascent  out  of  matter  on  the  upward 
arc  of  evolution."  (Some  Glimpses  of  Occultism,  p. 
73-) 

According  to  Pietschmann,  the  Egyptian  Mysteries 
had  three  grades,  called  Mortals,  Intelligences,  and 
Creators  of  Light.  The  Mortals  were  probationary 
pupils,  who  were  instructed  in  the  doctrine,  but  who 
had  not  yet  realized  the  inner  vision:  The  Intelli- 
gences were  those  who  had  attained  the  inner  vision 
and  had  become  men  and  received  Mind.  The  Cre- 
ators or  Sons  of  Light  were  those  who  had  become 
one  with  the  Light — had  attained  to  true  spiritual 
consciousness.  These  three  stages  are  called  by  W. 
Marsham  Adams,  Initiation,  Illumination  and  Perfec- 
tion. This  state  could  be  attained  while  yet  in  the 
body,  and  included  the  after  death  consciousness  as 
a  part  of  its  content. 

The  ancient  temples  of  Initiation  in  Egypt  were 
models  of  the  "Heavenly  Jerusalem,"  a  type  of  the 
world-building,  to  use  a  Jewish  Gnostic  term.  Adams 
describes  the  temple  at  Denderah  thus,  "In  the  center 
of  the  temple  is  the  Hall  of  the  Altar,  with  entrances 
opening  east  and  west;  and  beyond  it  lies  the  great 
hall  of  the  temple  entitled  the  Hall  of  the  Child  in 
his  Cradle,  from  whence  access  is  obtained  to  the 
secret  and  sealed  shrine  entered  once  a  year  by  the 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  41 

high  priest,  on  the  night  of  midsummer."  (The  Book 
of  the  Master,  or  the  Egyptian  Doctrine  of  the  Light 
Born  to  the  Virgin  Mother,  Adams,  p.  24.)  There 
were  also  various  other  halls  and  chambers,  such  as 
Hall  of  the  Golden  Rays,  Chamber  of  Gold,  Chamber 
of  Birth,  Dwelling  of  the  Golden  One,  Chamber  of 
Flames,  all  having  reference  to  the  Mysteries  of 
Light  and  a  divine  Birth.  "The  chief  Hall  of  the 
temple  was  the  Hall  of  the  Child  in  his  Cradle,  and 
the  chief  representation  on  the  planisphere  is  the  holy 
Mother  with  the  divine  Child  in  her  arms."  (I bid, 
P.  24-) 

THE    HINDU    MYSTERIES. 

The  Mysteries  of  India  were  celebrated  in  temples 
carved  out  of  solid  rock;  and  in  pyramids  and  dark 
pagodas.  The  temple  of  Elephanta  is  perhaps  the 
most  ancient  in  the  world.  It  is  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  feet  square  and  eighteen  feet  high,  sup- 
ported by  four  massive  pillars,  and  its  walls  are  cov- 
ered with  statutes  and  carved  emblematical  decora- 
tions. The  temples  of  Salsette  exceed  in  magnitude 
those  of  Elephanta,  though  they  are  excavated  in  rock, 
their  external  form  being  pyramidal.  The  interior  has 
many  galleries  and  secret  caverns,  and  in  the  inmost 
recesses  of  the  structure  a  "cubical  cista" — a  sepul- 
chre where  the  candidate  was  laid  during  his 
entranced  state. 

An  account  of  the  Initiation  is  given  by  Dr.  Oliver 
in  his  History  of  Initiations  which  we  herewith  con- 
dense as  follows: 

The  mysteries  were  divided  into  four  degrees.  The 
candidate  might  perform  his  first  probation  at  the 


42  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

early  age  of  eight  years.  This  consisted  of  an  in- 
vestiture of  the  Zennar  or  sacred  cord  of  three 
threads,  corresponding  to  our  "cable-tow."  This  in- 
vestiture was  attended  with  numerous  ceremonies  and 
ended  with  an  extended  lecture  from  the  preceptor. 
After  this  the  candidate  was  clothed  in  a  linen  gar- 
ment without  seams,  and  a  cord  put  over  his  right 
ear,  and  he  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a  Brahmin, 
as  a  spiritual  guide,  to  be  instructed  in  the  necessary 
qualifications  for  the  Second  Degree.  He  was  sub- 
jected to  many  hardships  and  rigid  penances  and  was 
taught  to  preserve  the  purity  of  his  body,  to  avoid 
external  defilements  and  to  devote  much  time  to 
study  of  the  sacred  books.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  if 
he  were  found  to  have  made  suitable  proficiency 
in  the  preceding  degree,  he  was  admitted  on  probation 
to  the  Second.  Here  his  austerities  were  doubled. 
At  the  conclusion  of  this  probation  he  was  Initiated 
into  the  privileges  of  the  Mysteries.  Sanctified  by 
the  sign  of  the  Cross,  which  was  marked  on  every 
part  of  the  body,  he  was  subjected  to  the  probation 
of  Pastos,  which  was  denominated  the  door  of  Patala 
or  hell — the  Tartarus  of  the  Grecian  Mysteries.  This 
was  the  Mystical  death.  His  perfection  of  the  proba- 
tionary period  being  attained,  he  was  led,  at  the  dead 
of  night,  to  the  cave  which  had  been  duly  prepared 
for  his  reception;  the  interior  of  this  cavern  blazed 
with  a  light  equal  to  the  meridian  sun.  There  sat  in 
rich  and  costly  robes  the  three  chief  hierophants,  sta- 
tioned in  the  East,  West  and  South  to  represent  the 
Sacred  Triad — Brahma,  Vishnu,  and  Siva,  with  the 
attendant  Mystagogues,  clad  in  holy  vestments  seated 
around.  The  well  known  signal  from  the  sacred  bell 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  43 

summoned  the  aspirant  into  the  center  of  the  august 
assembly;  when  the  ceremony  commenced  with  an 
anthem  and  solemn  invocation.  The  oath  was  then  ad- 
ministered, after  which  the  candidate  was  sprinkled 
with  water,  and  a  mantra  pronounced.  He  was  then 
divested  of  his  shoes,  that  the  consecrated  ground  on 
which  he  stood  might  not  be  polluted,  and  was  then 
made  to  circumambulate  the  temple  three  times,  ex- 
claiming each  time  on  his  arrival  in  the  south,  "I  copy 
the  example  of  the  Sun,  and  follow  his  benevolent 
course."  Here  we  have  the  origin  of  the  preparation 
of  the  candidate,  the  circuits,  etc.,  of  Modern  Ma- 
sonry. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  circuits,  the  candidate  was 
placed  in  the  care  of  a  spiritual  guide,  and  directed 
to  observe  proper  silence  during  the  succeeding  cere- 
monies. He  was  then  passed  through  seven  ranges 
of  dark  and  gloomy  caverns;  amid  the  din  of  howls, 
shrieks  and  dismal  lamentations,  a  sudden  explosion 
was  heard  which  seemed  to  rend  the  mountains; 
flashes  of  light  streamed  before  his  eyes,  and  then  all 
was  darkness  and  silence.  Gradually  he  beheld  shad- 
ows and  phantoms  of  various  shapes,  some  with  many 
hands,  arms  and  legs,  while  others  had  none;  the 
most  terrible  and  frightful  figures  appeared,  all  typi- 
fying the  generation  of  the  Gods,  and  other  sacred 
mysteries. 

The  candidate  then  personified  Vishnu,  and  was 
made  to  perform  his  numerous  Avatars.  In  the  fifth 
manifestation  he  took  three  steps  at  right  angles,  from 
which  we  get  the  three  steps,  as  in  the  Master's  de- 
gree, ending  at  right-angles.  Al1  these  experiences 
were  designed  to  teach  certain  lessons,  and  illustrate 


44  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

important  truths,  as  the  seven  caverns,  for  instance, 
bore  an  allusion  to  the  seven-fold  division  of  the  in- 
visible world — the  seven  olaces  of  reward  and  pun- 
ishment. 

After  all  these  trials,  the  pealing  Conch  was  sound- 
ed, the  folding  doors  were  thrown  open,  and  the  can- 
didate was  conducted  into  Paradise,  which  was  a  spa- 
cious apartment  blazing  with  a  thousand  brilliant 
lights,  ornamented  with  statues  and  emblematical  fig- 
ures, decorated  profusely  with  gems  and  jewels.  With 
eyes  riveted  on  the  altar,  he  was  taught  to  expect  the 
descent  of  the  Deity  in  the  bright  pyramidal  fire  that 
blazed  upon  it.  This  gorgeous  display  filled  the  mind 
of  the  aspirant  with  admiration,  and  lighted  up  the 
holy  fervor  of  devotion  in  his  heart.  And  now  be- 
ing fully  regenerated,  a  new  name  was  given  him,  ex- 
pressive of  his  recently  attained  purity,  and  he  was 
introduced  to  the  chief  Brahmin,  in  the  midst  of  the 
august  assembly,  who  received  him  as  a  brother  and 
associate,  invested  him  with  a  white  robe  and  tiara, 
seated  him  in  an  elevated  place,  and  solemnly  deliv- 
ered the  signs,  tokens,  and  lectures  of  the  Order.  His 
forehead  was  marked  with  a  cross.  An  inverted  level 
or  tau  cross,  was  inscribed  on  his  breast,  this  was  a 
badge  of  innocence  and  a  symbol  of  eternal  life.  He 
was  invested  with  the  sacred  sash  or  belt,  and  finally, 
he  was  entrusted  with  the  sublime  Name  which  was 
known  only  to  the  Initiated.  The  Arch  Brahmin 
then  entered  on  an  explanation  of  the  various  em- 
blems which  were  arranged  around  him;  with  the 
arcana  of  the  hidden  science  enfolded  under  the  holy 
gloom  of  the  mysterious  veil. 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  45 

An  extensive  system  of  symbolical  instruction  was 
also  used  in  the  Hindu  Mysteries,  and  their  philoso- 
phy was  veiled  under  the  impervious  shade  of  hiero- 
glyphical  symbols,  unintelligible  to  the  profane,  and 
intended  to  lead  them  into  a  maze  of  error,  from 
which  it  was  difficult  to  extract  a  single  idea  which 
bore  any  semblance  to  the  original  truth.  These 
symbols  were  publicly  displayed  in  their  temples,  bear- 
ing streams  of  light  to  the  Initiated ;  while  to  the  pro- 
fane they  were  but  an  obscure  mass  of  unintelligible 
darkness.  (Oliver's  History  of  Initiations,  Ch.  //.) 

THE   PERSIAN    MYSTERIES. 

The  Persian  Mysteries  or  the  Mysteries  of  Mithras 
are  among  the  most  important  of  antiquity.  Even 
Pythagoras  is  said  to  have  travelled  from  Greece  to 
receive  Initiation  at  the  hands  of  those  Persian  Hiero- 
phants.  The  candidates  were  prepared  for  Initiation 
by  various  lustrations  and  forty  degree-days  of  pro- 
bation, which  ended  by  a  fifty-days  fast.  These  trials 
were  undergone  in  a  subterranean  cavern,  where  the 
candidate  was  bound  to  perpetual  silence.  At  the 
conclusion  of  his  probation  he  was  guided  into  the 
Hall  of  Initiation,  and  received  on  the  point  of  a  sword 
presented  to  his  naked  left  breast.  He  was  conducted 
into  the  inner  Chamber  where  he  was  purified  by  fire 
and  water,  and  then  conducted  through  the  seven 
stages  of  Initiation.  Dr.  Oliver  describes  these  stages 
as  follows:  "From  the  precipice  where  he  stood,  he 
beheld  a  deep  and  dangerous  vault  into  which  a  single 
false  step  might  precipitate  him  down  to  the  'throne 
of  dreadful  necessity,'  which  was  an  emblem  of  those 
infernal  regions  through  which  he  was  about  to  pass. 


46  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Threading  the  circuitous  mazes  of  the  gloomy  cavern, 
he  was  soon  awakened  from  his  trance  of  thought,  by 
seeing  the  sacred  fire,  at  intervals,  flash  through  its 
recesses  to  illuminate  his  path;  sometimes  bursting 
from  beneath  his  feet;  sometimes  descending  on  his 
head  in  a  broad  sheet  of  white  and  shadowy  flame. 
Amidst  the  admiration  thus  inspired,  his  terror  was 
excited  by  the  distant  yelling  of  ravenous  beasts;  the 
roaring  of  lions,  the  howling  of  wolves,  the  fierce  and 
threatening  bark  of  dogs.  Enveloped  in  blackest  dark- 
ness, he  was  at  a  loss  where  to  turn  for  safety ;  but  was 
impelled  rapidly  forward  by  his  attendant,  who  main- 
tained an  unbroken  silence,  towards  the  quarter  from 
whence  the  appalling  sounds  proceeded;  and  at  the 
sudden  opening  of  a  door  he  found  himself  in  a  den 
of  wild  beasts,  dimly  enlightened  with  a  single  lamp. 
His  conductor  exhorted  him  to  courage,  and  he  was 
immediately  attacked,  amidst  the  most  tremendous  up- 
roar, by  the  initiated  in  the  forms  of  lions,  tigers, 
wolves,  griffins,  and  other  monstrous  beasts;  fierce 
dogs  appeared  to  rise  from  the  earth,  and  with  dread- 
ful howlings  endeavored  to  overwhelm  the  aspirant 
with  alarm;  and  how  bravely  soever  his  courage 
might  sustain  him  in  this  unequal  conflict,  he  seldom 
escaped  unhurt. 

Being  hurried  through  this  cavern  into  another,  he 
was  once  more  shrouded  in  darkness.  A  dead  silence 
succeeded,  and  he  was  obliged  to  proceed  with  de- 
liberate step,  meditating  on  the  danger  he  had  just 
escaped,  and  smarting  under  the  wounds  he  had  re- 
ceived. His  attention,  however,  was  soon  roused 
from  these  reflections  and  directed  to  other  dangers 
which  appeared  to  threaten.  An  undefined  rumbling 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  47 

noise  was  heard  in  a  distant  range  of  caverns,  which 
became  louder  and  louder  as  he  advanced,  until  the 
pealing  thunder  seemed  to  rend  the  solid  rocks  and 
burst  the  caverns  around  him ;  and  the  vivid  and  con- 
tinued flashes  of  lightning,  in  streaming  sheets  of 
fire,  rendered  visible  the  flitting  shades  of  avenging 
genii,  who,  frowning  displeasure,  appeared  to  threaten 
with  summary  destruction  these  daring  intruders  into 
the  privacy  of  their  hallowed  abodes.  Scenes  like 
these  were  multiplied  with  increasing  horror,  until 
nature  could  no  longer  endure  the  trial ;  and  when 
the  aspirant  was  ready  to  sink  under  the  effects  of  ex- 
haustion and  mental  agony,  he  was  conveyed  into  an- 
other apartment  to  recruit  his  strength.  Here,  a  vivid 
illumination  was  suddenly  introduced,  and  his  out- 
raged feelings  were  soothed  by  the  sound  of  melodious 
music,  and  the  flavor  of  grateful  perfumes.  Seated 
at  rest  in  this  apartment,  his  guide  explained  the  ele- 
ments of  those  invaluable  secrets  which  were  more 
fully  developed  when  his  initiation  was  complete. 

Having  pronounced  himself  disposed  to  proceed 
through  the  remaining  ceremonies,  a  signal  was  given 
by  his  conductor,  and  three  priests  immediately  made 
their  appearance ;  one  of  whom,  after  a  long  and  sol- 
emn pause,  cast;  a  living  serpent  into  his  bosom  as  a 
token  of  regeneration;  and  a  private  door  being 
opened,  there  issued  forth  such  howlings  and  cries 
of  lamentation  and  despair,  as  struck  him  with  new 
and  indescribable  emotions  of  terror.  He  turned  his 
eyes  with  an  involuntary  motion  to  the  place  from 
whence  these  bewailings  appeared  to  proceed,  and 
beheld  in  every  appalling  form,  the  torments  of  the 
wicked  in  Hades.  Turning  from  this  scene  of  woe, 


48  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

he  was  passed  through  some  other  dark  caverns  and 
passages;  until,  having  sucessfully  threaded  the  laby- 
rinth, consisting  of  six  spacious  vaults,  connected  by 
winding  galleries,  each  opening1  with  a  narrow  stone 
portal,  the  scene  of  some  perilous  adventure;  and 
having,  by  the  exercise  of  fortitude  and  perse- 
verance, been  triumphantly  borne  through  this  ac- 
cumulated mass  of  difficulty  and  danger;  the  doors  of 
the  seventh  vault,  or  Sacellum,  were  thrown  open,  and 
his  darkness  was  changed  into  light.  He  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  spacious  and  lofty  cavern  already  de- 
scribed, which  was  denominated  the  sacred  grotto  of 
Elysium.  This  consecrated  place  was  brillinatly  il- 
luminated, and  sparkled  with  gold  and  precious  stones. 
A  splendid  sun  and  starry  system  emitted  their  daz- 
zling radiance,  and  moved  in  order  to  the  symphonies 
of  heavenly  music.  Here  sat  the  Archimagus  in  the 
East,  elevated  on  a  throne  of  burnished  gold,  crowned 
with  a  rich  diadem  decorated  with  myrtle  boughs, 
and  habited  in  a  flowing  tunic  of  a  bright  cerulean 
tincture;  round  him  were  arranged  in  solemn  order 
the  Presules,  and  dispensers  of  the  mysteries;  form- 
ing altogether  a  reverend  assembly,  which  covered 
the  awe-struck  aspirant  with  a  profound  feel- 
ing of  veneration;  and  by  an  involuntary  impulse, 
frequently  produced  an  act  of  worship.  Here  he  was 
received  with  congratulations;  and  after  having  en- 
tered into  the  usual  engagements  for  keeping  secret 
the  sacred  rites  of  Mithras,  the  sacred  words  were 
entrusted  to  him,  of  which  the  ineffable  Tetractys,  or 
Name  of  God,  was  the  chief.  (History  of  Initiation, 
Oliver,  Ch.  IV.) 

The  candidate  was  then   instructed   in  the   secret 


The  Egyptian,  Hindu,  and  Persian  Mysteries  49 

science.  The  meaning  of  the  emblems  was  ex- 
plained, the  incidents  experienced  converted  to  a 
moral  purpose,  and  their  significance  made  clear. 
Nothing  was  done  without  a  purpose  and  every  ex- 
perience illustrated  some  truth  and  fact  in  nature. 
What  they  were  designed  to  set  forth  we  shall  see  in 
subsequent  lectures. 

Suffice  it  here  to  say,  that  the  Mithra-Mystery  was 
identical  with  the  Christ-Mystery — the  mystery  of 
man's  perfection  and  final  apotheosis. 

"The  secret  of  regeneration,  of  being  born  anew  or 
spiritually,  or  from  above — in  brief,  the  divinizing  of 
man,  was  the  last  word  of  the  Mithra-rites ;  all  else 
13  introductory  or  ancillary.  This  secret  was  the  one 
secret  of  all  the  great  mystery-rites  and  mystery- 
arts."  (Mysteries  of  Mithra,  Mead,  p.  47.) 

A  Ritual  dealing  with  the  mystery  of  apotheosis 
and  used  by  the  most  advanced  in  the  Mithraic  eso- 
teric circles  has  recently  been  discovered.  It  is  a 
"yoga-rite,"  one  far  in  advance  of  the  lower  grades 
of  Initiation.  Initiation  does  not  mean  consumma- 
tion— it  is  merely  starting  things  going.  The  candi- 
date, to  make  the  initiation  valid,  must  "seal  up  the 
links,"  so  to  speak,  and  this  Mithraic  Ritual  has  to  do 
with  the  final  stages  of  spiritual  evolution.  (For  a 
complete  exposition  of  this  Ritual  see  "A  Mithraic 
Ritual,"  by  G.  R.  S.  Mead.) 

Besides  the  various  rites  of  Initiation  already  de- 
scribed, we  find  the  same  sacraments  in  the  Mys- 
teries that  in  later  years  were  administered  in  the 
Christian  Church. 


50  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Justin  Martyr,  150  A.  D.,  says  that  the  evil  demons 
in  the  Mysteries  of  Mithras  aped  the  Christian  Eu- 
charist, for  there  was  an  offering  of  bread  and  of  a 
cup  of  water  with  certain  explanatory  sacred  for- 
mulae. (Justin  Martyr  First  Apology,  Vol.  II.,  Sec. 
LIV,  LXII,  LXVI,  Second  Apology  Sec.  XIII.) 

Tertullian,  210  A.  D.,  in  speaking  of  the  Mithraic 
Mysteries,  says,  "He,  too,  baptizes  some — that  is,  his 
own  believers  and  faithful  followers;  he  promises 
the  putting  away  of  sins  by  a  laver  (of 
his  own) ;  and  if  my  memory  still  serves  me, 
Mithra  there,  (in  the  kingdom  of  Satan,)  sets 
his  marks  on  the  foreheads  of  his  soldiers; 
celebrates  also  the  oblation  of  bread,  and  in- 
troduces an  image  of  a  resurrection,  and  before  a 
sword  wreaths  a  crown."  (Prescription  Against 
Heretics,  Ch.  XL.) 

Tertullian  also  explains  the  identities  by  resorting 
to  the  convenient  theory  of  the  Devil  aping  the  Chris- 
tian forms.  But  this  curious  explanation  will  hardly 
find  adherents  to-day — it  is  difficult  to  accept  the 
earlier  as  copies,  and  the  more  recent  as  originals. 
We  shall  see  later  the  origin  and  meaning  of  these 
similarities. 

Thus  we  find  in  the  ancient  Egyptian,  Hindu  and 
Persian  Mysteries,  a  system  of  religious  culture  and 
training  that  originated  thousands  of  years  ago,  and 
which  through  many  centuries  preserved  and  handed 
down  the  Master's  Word  to  those  who  had  made  suf- 
ficient progress,  and  were  thereby  "duly  and  truly  pre- 
pared" to  receive  it. 

These  great  Institutions  were  the  wonder  of  the 
world,  hence  it  is  not  strange  that  they  received  the 
highest  praise  from  all  the  great  men  of  antiquity. 


LECTURE  III. 

THE   DRUIDICAL,    GOTHIC,    GRECIAN,   AND 

JEWISH  MYSTERIES. 

We  are  to  continue  in  this  lecture  our  examination 
of  the  Mysteries  of  antiquity.  We  will  consider  first 

THE  DRUIDICAL  MYSTERIES. 

The  Druidical  Mysteries  were  the  same  as  the  Cel- 
tic, and  were  celebrated  in  many  countries.  We  are 
told  by  Caesar  that  these  Mysteries  were  better  un- 
derstood in  Britain  than  anywhere  else. 

All  temples,  in  whatever  country,  had  places  of  In- 
itiation connected  with  them,  and  they  were  usually 
subterranean.  The  great  grotto  at  Castleton  in  Der- 
byshire bears  evidence  that  the  celebration  of  the 
Druidical  Mysteries  was  of  an  elaborate  nature;  the 
temple  at  Abury  was  also  a  stupendous  structure,  and 
was  built  in  the  form  of  a  circle. 

The  periods  of  Initiation  were  quarterly  and  were 
held  at  the  time  of  the  equinoxes  and  solstices.  There 
were  three  degrees  in  the  Druidical  Mysteries — 
Eubatea,  Bards,  and  Druids,  and  it  was  obligatory 
that  the  candidate  for  Initiation  be  well  qualified  and 
duly  prepared — mental  and  moral  perfection  being  the 
first  requisite.  When  the  candidate  had  passed  the 
probationary  stage  he  was  clad  in  a  robe,  striped  with 
white,  blue,  and  green,  emblematical  of  light,  truth, 


52  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

and  hope,  and  confined  in  a  cromlech  (tomb)  for 
parts  of  three  days  without  food, — dead,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Mysteries, — after  which  he  was  liberated 
for  Initiation,  and  restored  to  life  on  the  third  day. 
This  confinement  preceded  his  Initiation  into  each  of 
the  two  first  degrees.  When  the  Aspirant  was  liber- 
ated he  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  an  officer  and  con- 
ducted around  the  sanctuary  nine  times,  at  first  with 
slow  and  measured  step,  which  at  length  was  in- 
creased to  a  rapid  pace.  During  the  circuits  there 
was  a  clang  of  musical  instruments  and  recitations  in 
praise  of  those  who  were  heroic  in  war,  courteous  in 
peace,  and  the  friends  of  religion.  At  the  completion 
of  this  ceremony  the  oath  of  secrecy  was  administered 
and  the  aspirant  then  went  through  various  ceremo- 
nies in  which  he  represented  many  characters,  declar- 
ing among  other  things,  "I  have  died,"  and  "I  have 
revived,"  alluding  to  his  mystical  death  and  resur- 
rection. 

In  the  second  part  of  the  ceremony  there  was  the 
dismal  darkness,  the  direful  shrieks,  the  barking  dogs, 
etc.,  with  which  we  have  been  made  familiar  in  the 
preceding  Mysteries.  The  aspirant  finally  emerged 
from  the  gloom,  and  found  himself  surrounded  with 
the  most  brilliant  coruscations  of  light,  being  then 
presented  to  the  Archdruid,  who  instructed  him  in  the 
Mysteries,  imparting  the  knowledge  of  Druidism,  and 
exhorting  him  to  the  practice  of  virtue. 

There  was  still  another  degree  to  be  administered 
to  those  who  aspired  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection. 
To  obtain  this  further  advancement  they  were  sub- 
jected to  the  most  arduous  purification  and  were  com- 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  53 

mitted  to  the  tomb  for  nine  months,  where  in  soli- 
tude they  studied  theology,  philosophy,  cosmogony, 
astronomy,  etc.  Dr.  Oliver  says  this  was  "The  death 
and  burial  of  the  Mysteries ;  and  on  its  expiration  he 
was  said  to  be  newly  born  from  the  womb  of  Ceri- 
dwen,  and  was  pronounced  a  regenerate  person, 
cleansed  from  his  former  impurities  by  the  mystical 
contents  of  her  cauldron."  (History  of  Initiation, 
Oliver,  p.  146.) 

When  the  period  of  gestation  in  the  womb  of  Cer id- 
wen  was  complete,  as  the  confinement  in  the  tomb 
was  termed,  the  candidate  was  ready  for  further  in- 
struction. Another  trial,  however,  must  be  braved 
before  the  highest  degree  of  light  could  be  conferred. 
The  candidate,  now  called  the  "new  born  infant,"  was 
placed  in  a  boat,  and  committed  to  the  mercy  of  the 
waves.  If  he  succeeded  in  securing  a  safe  landing 
place,  he  was  triumphantly  received,  and  this  comple- 
tion of  the  Three  Degrees  made  the  aspirant,  a  "thrice 
born" — conferring  upon,  him  the  power  of  inspiration 
and  prophecy  in  the  highest  form. 

The  Druids  maintained  a  high  intellectual  standard, 
for  they  taught  their  disciples  astronomy,  botany,  an- 
atomy, languages,  medicine,  etc.  Thus  we  see  the 
Mysteries  were  always  repositories  of  Wisdom. 

THE    GOTHIC    MYSTERIES. 

The  Gothic  Mysteries  were  practiced  at  one  time  by 
all  the  northern  nations  of  Europe ;  we  trace  their  in- 
troduction to  Sigge,  a  Scythian  Prince,  who  lived  in 
the  first  century  B.  C. 


54  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

There  were  three  great  festivals  connected  with  the 
Gothic  Mysteries.  The  most  significant  was  celebrat- 
ed at  the  winter  Solstice  and  dedicated  to  Thor.  The 
next  celebration  was  dedicated  to  Frea  and  com- 
menced at  the  second  moon  in  the  new  year.  The 
third  was  dedicated  to  Odin  and  was  held  in  the 
spring.  These  were  the  principal  celebrations,  but 
Initiations  were  also  performed  at  many  smaller  fes- 
tivals held  during  the  year. 

The  Palace  of  Thor,  the  principal  place  of  Initia- 
tions, contained  five  hundred  and  forty  halls  and  was 
situated  in  the  kingdom  of  Thurdwanger. 

The  Gothic  Mysteries,  like  all  others,  were  con- 
nected with  the  Mystery  Myth,  differing  only  in  de- 
tail. The  Gothic  version  runs  as  follows:  Balder, 
who  was  esteemed  as  invulnerable,  had  in  the  general 
asisembly  placed  himself  in  sport  as  a  mark  at  which 
the  gods  exercised  their  skill  in  casting  darts.  Odin 
and  Friga  exacted  an  oath  of  safety  in  favor  of  Balder 
from  everything  in  nature  except  the  mistletoe,  which 
was  omitted  on  account  of  its  weakness.  Loki  dis- 
covered the  exception  and  placed  a  sprig  in  the  hands 
of  the  blind  Hoder,  persuaded  him  to  cast  it  at  Balder, 
who  fell,  pierced  through  with  mortal  wounds.  His 
body  was  then  placed  in  a  boat  and  set  afloat  on  the 
water,  while  the  gods  mourned  for  his  decease.  "The 
fable  of  Balder  and  Loki,"  says  Dr.  Oliver,  "with  the 
lamentations  of  the  gods  for  the  death  of  Balder, 
bears  such  an  obvious  relation  to  those  of  Osiris  and 
Typhon,  Bacchus  and  the  Titans,  Cama,  Iswara,  etc., 
that  I  entertain  no  doubt  but  that  it  constituted  the 
Legend  of  Initiation;  as  it  is,  indeed,  the  exact  coun- 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  55 

terpart  of  all  other  systems   of  mysterious   celebra- 
tion."    (Ibid,  p.  174,  note  34.) 

It  would  be  needless  repetition  to  go  into  detail 
regarding  these  Initiations.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
after  the  candidate  was  duly  prepared,  by  the  usual 
fasting  and  the  preliminary  ceremonies  of  sacrifice, 
processions,  etc.,  he  was  conducted  with  naked  feet 
into  the  sacred  hall  and  through  a  winding  pathway, 
amid  shades  of  darkness  and  the  howling  of  dogs,  to 
the  tomb  of  the  prophetess  Volva.  Here  occured 
the  mysterious  rites  of  invocation.  Passing  onward 
the  candidate  hears  the  bewailings  for  the  death  of  the 
God,  Balder.  He  was  then  confined  in  the  Pastos  or 
tomb,  and  guarded  by  Heimdal,  the  door  keeper  of 
the  Gods ;  upon  liberation  he  was  instructed  to  search 
for  the  body  of  Balder,  and  to  endeavor  to  raise  him 
from  death  to  life. 

Before  starting  on  his  dangerous  expedition  he  was 
recommended  to  the  protection  of  the  Gods.  The 
guide  then  conducted  him  through  nine  subterranean 
passages,  where  various  experiments  of  awe  and  ter- 
ror awaited  him.  Completing  his  journey  he  entered 
the  illuminated  sacellum,  and  found  Balder  enthroned 
on  a  seat  of  highest  distinction.  His  entrance  was 
greeted  with  an  anthem  of  congratulation,  and  great 
rejoicing  took  place  for  the  resuscitation  of  the  God. 
The  candidate  then  took  a  solemn  oath  on  a  naked 
sword — a  symbol  of  the  supreme  God.  Throughout 
the  ceremonies  the  candidate  had  been  impersonating 
Balder — that  is,  his  experiences  were  the  same  as 
Balder's,  who,  as  a  perfect  Initiate,  is  the  type  or  first 
fruits  of  human  evolution.  The  candidate  had  then 
attained  the  Balder-state  of  manhood. 


56  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

THE   GRECIAN    MYSTERIES. 

The  Mysteries  were  introduced  into  Greece  by  Or- 
pheus. This  great  Teacher  evidently  led  one  of  the 
waves  of  emigration  of  the  Aryan  stock  into  Europe. 
The  Orphic  tradition  had  various  fortunes.  In  the 
days  of  Homer  it  was  neglected,  for  the  people  were 
too  proud  to  listen  to  what  they  regarded  as  the  su- 
perstition of  their  forefathers,  but  with  the  rise  of 
philosophy  in  the  seventh  century  B.  C.  the  earlier 
religious  Myths  were  again  examined,  and  it  became 
evident  that  ancient  Greece  possessed  a  Mystery-tra- 
dition which  compared  favorably  with  that  of  other 
nations. 

We  do  not  know  exactly  the  time  when  the  Mys- 
tery institutions  were  established  but  we  do  know  that 
they  existed  under  various  names — Eleusinian,  Bac- 
chic, Dionysiac,  Samothracean,  etc.,  and  that  all  were 
practically  the  same.  The  Eleusinian  were  perhaps 
the  most  noted  as  they  constituted  what  might  be 
called  the  State  Mysteries.  In  these  there  were  two 
divisions — the  Lesser  and  the  Greater,  beyond  which 
was  the  true  Mystery  of  the  Path.  The  center  of  the 
work  of  the  Lesser  Mysteries  was  at  Agrae;  the 
Greater  at  Eleusis.  The  Lesser  Mysteries  dealt  prin- 
cipally with  Hades  or  the  Aistral  world;  the  Great- 
er with  the  Mental  or  Heavenly  world.  The  cere- 
monial garment  in  the  Lesser  Mysteries  was  a 
fawn  skin;  in  the  Greater  Mysteries  a  golden-fleece, 
The  candidates  for  Initiation  were  naturally  divided 
into  two  classes — those  who  were  only  capable  of  re- 
ceiving instruction  in  the  things  pertaining  to  the  un- 
seen, and  those  who  were  capable  of  special  training 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  57 

in  the  development  of  clairvoyance ;  instruction  was 
also  given  in  cosmology,  anthropogenesis,  etc. 

The  Eleusinian  Mysteries  were  celebrated  with 
much  pomp  and  lasted  nine  days.  The  places  of  In- 
itiation, like  those  of  other  nations,  were  great  sub- 
terranean caverns,  containing  many  chambers  and  sep- 
ulchres in  which  the  candidate  was  immured  during 
a  part  of  the  ceremonial  rite.  Some  of  these  places 
of  Initiation,  with  their  tombs  cut  into  the  solid  rock, 
are  described  at  length  by  Mr.  Maundrill.  Every 
temple  had  a  cavern  connected  with  it  for  Initiation. 
In  some  countries  the  place  of  Initiation  was  a  pyr- 
amid erected  over  a  subterranean  cavern. 

The  first  portion  of  the  ceremony  among  the  Greeks 
was  the  purification  by  water.  The  candidate  was 
then  conducted  to  the  vestibule  and  invested  with  the 
sacred  robes,  and  after  being  exhorted  to  courage  the 
aspirant  was  led  through  a  series  of  caverns,  where 
he  met  with  practically  the  same  experiences  as  we 
have  found  in  the  other  Mysteries — the  dark  and 
gloomy  surroundings,  the  pealing  thunder,  the  howl- 
ing dogs  and  wild  beasts,  the  flashes  of  vivid  light, 
monstrous  appearances,  etc.  After  three  days  of 
these  terrors,  he  was  confined  in  a  cell  for  reflection. 
Dr.  Oliver  says,  "This  was  the  symbolical  death  of  the 
Mysteries;  and  the  deliverance  from  confinement 
was  the  act  of  regeneration  or  new  birth;  and 
hence  the  rejuvenated  aspirant  was  termed  twice 
born;  once  from  the  womb  of  his  natural  mother  and 
again  from  the  pastos  of  Initiation."  (Ibid,  p.  98.) 
This  deliverance  was  rather  a  resurrection  than  a 
new  birth;  the  latter  applying  more  properly  to  the 


58  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

first  stage  of  Initiation,  although,  in  one  sense,  every 
stage  that  marks  an  extension  of  consciousness  is  a 
new  birth. 

While  the  aspirant  was  undergoing  the  mystical 
death  of  Bacchus,  the  Initiates  acted  out  the  Myth. 
We  have  seen  that  this  passion-vision  was  a  part  of 
every  mystery-drama.  The  neophyte  here  experi 
enced  the  Great  Passion  himself.  This  feeling  was 
a  prerequisite  to  knowing.  What  it  was  we  do  not 
know,  but  it  had  to  do  with  the  mystic  death  of  the 
Master.  During  this  part  of  the  drama  there  were 
loud  lamentations  over  the  death  of  their  God,  and 
Rhea,  like  Isis,  went  in  search  of  his  remains. 

At  a  given  signal  from  the  Hierophant  the  mourn- 
ing was  turned  into  joy,  for  it  was  announced  that  the 
body  had  been  found  and  restored  to  life.  The  can- 
didate was  liberated  from  his  confinement,  and  after 
various  experiences  in  the  infernal  regions,  gained  the 
verdant  plains  of  Elysium,  where  the  souls  of  the  just 
were  observed  in  the  enjoyment  of  pure  delights. 

Here  the  Hierophant  delivered  a  lecture  on  the 
purpose  of  the  Mysteries;  gave  the  usual  instruction 
in  the  secret  science,  and  bestowed  the  insignia  of 
the  Order.  Clement  says  of  the  Greek  Mysteries, 
"After  these  (the  lustrations)  are  the  minor  Myster- 
ies, which  have  some  foundation  of  instruction 
and  of  preliminary  preparation  for  what  is  to 
come  after;  and  the  great  Mysteries.,  in  which  noth- 
ing remains  to  be  learned  of  the  universe,  but  only  to 
contemplate  and  comprehend  nature  and  things," 
(Stromata,  Book  V,  Ch.  XL) 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  59 

The  Bacchic  or  Dionysiac  Mysteries  grew  to  be  mere 
festivities  toward  the  last,  and  Bacchus  himself  re- 
garded as  the  god  of  wine,  instead  of  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Logos.  The  Mysteries  of  Greece  and 
Rome  shared  the  same  decadence  as  the  nations.  We 
cannot  judge  them  by  their  relics,  any  more  than  we 
can  judge  the  grandeur  of  Rome  by  the  period  of  her 
decay. 

Besides  the  public  Mysteries  there  were  the  ancient 
schools  of  philosophy  of  Pythagoras  and  Plato,  which 
have  sometimes  been  called  the  private  or  philosophic 
Mysteries.     The  founders  of  these  schools  were  In- 
itiates.    Pythagoras  is  said  to  have  been  initialed  into 
the  Egyptian,  Chaldean,  Orphic  and  Eleusinian  Mys- 
teries.    These  schools  of  philosophy  worked  in  con- 
nection with  the  Mystery-teaching.     It  is  a  mistake 
to  suppose  that  Pythagoras  and  Plato  formulated  a 
new  doctrine,  for  their  philosophy  was  part  and  par- 
cel of  the  old  Wisdom  which  had  been  handed  down 
by   the    Hierophants    through    the    Mysteries.     The 
genius  of  these  great  teachers  consisted  in  clothing 
the  great  truths,  enshrined  in  the  ancient  Myths,  in 
modes  of  thought  suitable  to  the  time.     In  the  Pytha- 
gorean schools  the  students  were  divided  into  three 
degrees    or   classes.      The    followers    of    Pythagoras 
were  noted  for  purity  of  life  and  loftiness  of  aim  and 
purpose,  and  the  higher  religious  life  of  Greece  is  to 
be  sought  in  this  connection. 

There  were  also  Orphic  communities  which  de- 
serve mention.  The  members  of  these  communities 
were  known  as  Orphics,  and  were  said  to  live  the 
Orphic  life, — a  life  of  holiness.  It  was  with  these 


60  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

communities  that  the  Pythagoreans  took  refuge  when 
their  school  at  Crotona  was  broken  up. 

THE   JEWISH    MYSTERIES. 

The  ancient  Jews  had  their  Mysteries,  as  well  as 
all  other  peoples  of  antiquity.  Mr.  Elbe  in  his  book 
(Future  Life,  p.  107)  says  that  it  appears  to  be  an  es- 
tablished fact  that  the  Israelites  had  their  Mysteries, 
as  well  as  the  Egyptians  and  the  majority  of  ancient 
races.  Although  they  had  these  secrets,  occult 
knowledge  and  kabbalistic  teaching, — which  passed 
form  mouth  to  ear  for  generations  among  the  Jewish 
Priests,  as  did  the  Brahrninical  teaching  before  it  was 
reduced  to  writing, — yet  we  do  not  find  the  Jewish 
rites  as  elaborate  as  those  practiced  by  other  na- 
tions. The  Jewish  Kabbalistic  doctrines  were  not 
written  down  until  the  first  century  of  our  era.  Rabbi 
Eleazar,  the  son  of  Rabbi  Simeon  Ben  Jochai,  com- 
piled the  Kabbalistic  teaching  of  his  father  into  a 
work  called  the  Zohar,  but  these  teachings  did  not 
originate  with  that  noted  Rabbi,  they  reach  far  into 
remote  antiquity.  This  book,  which  was  edited  be- 
tween 70  and  100  A.  D.,  was  lost,  and  its  sacred  con- 
tents were  preserved  only  in  a  number  of  scattered 
manuscripts. 

The  Zohar  was  rewritten,  according  to  Munk,  by 
Moses  de  Leon,  in  the  I3th  century,  and  was  based 
upon  those  fragmentary  manuscripts  and  ancient  doc- 
uments which  have  been  partially  destroyed  or  lost 
to  the  general  world. 

The  Sepher  Jetzerah  (or  Jewish  Book  of  Creation) 
is  first  mentioned  in  the  loth  century,  although  its 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  61 

contents  are  very  ancient.  These  two  books,  the  Zo- 
har  and  Jetzerah,  are  the  storehouse  of  all  subsequent 
Kabbalistic  works. 

The  Kabbalistic  writings,  then,  are  comparatively 
modern,  but  their  doctrines  came  to  the  Jews  from 
the  Chaldeans  and  Egyptians.  Moses  was  an  In- 
itiate, and  knew  the  primitive  universal  mystery-lan- 
guage, also  the  numerical  system  on  which  it  was 
based,  but  his  writings  have  not  come  down  to  us — 
the  books  attributed  to  him  are  not  the  original  Mo- 
saic Records. 

The  early  Hebrew  teachings  derived  from  Moses 
had  various  fortunes — the  original  scrolls  were  prob- 
ably lost  and  rewritten  many  times  before  the  days 
of  Ezra,  and  when  the  Jews  were  carried  away  into 
captivity,  the  Jewish  Scriptures  were  destroyed. 
Ezra  endeavored  to  restore  them  as  best  he  could,  but 
they  have  been  tampered  with  even  since  his  day.  The 
Samaritans  repudiate  the  Jewish  canonical  books. 
They  are  disfigured,  they  say,  beyond  all  recognition 
by  the  Talmudists.  They  have  their  books  of  Moses, 
differing  materially,  yet  claimed  by  the  Samaritans  to 
be  carefully  copied  from  the  original. 

The  Black  Jews  of  Southern  India  know  nothing 
of  the  captivity,  thus  proving  that  they  emigrated  pre- 
vious to  600  B.  C.  They  also  have  a  Book  of  Moses 
which  differs  greatly  from  either  of  the  above  canon- 
ical books. 

Although  the  Jews  are  right  in  declaring  that  Moses 
originally  gave  them  their  cosmology  and  laws,  still 
the  records  of  these  laws  have  been  so  changed  that 
the  present  books  attributed  to  him  are  not  the  orig- 


62  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

inal  books  at  all.  Some  fragments  of  the  earlier 
writings  and  traditions  may  have  been  available  at 
the  time  of  Ezra,  but  in  all  probability  the  main  alle- 
gories were  taken  from  the  symbolical  records  of  the 
Chaldeans,  as  the  earlier  allegories  had  been  adopt- 
ed from  similar  records  in  Egypt. 

The  doctrine  of  the  Kabbalah  is  practically  the 
same  as  that  of  the  ancient  universal  teaching.  Ain 
Soph  is  the  western  and  Semitic  Parabrahman.  Be- 
tween the  Absolute  Ain  Soph  and  the  Heavenly  Man, 
there  is  an  impersonal  First  Cause.  Dr  Ginsburg 
says,  "For  to  reveal  itself  to  us,  the  concealed  of  all 
the  concealed  sent  forth  the  Ten  Emanations  (Se- 
phoroth)  called  the  Form  of  God,  Form  of  the  Heaven- 
ly Man.  Yet  since  even;  this  luminous  form  was  too 
dazzling  for  our  vision,  it  had  to  put  on  another  gar- 
ment, whkh  is  the  universe.  The  universe,  therefore, 
or  the  visible  world,  is  a  further  expression  of  the 
Divine  Substance,  and  is  called  in  the  Kabbalah,  The 
Garment  of  God."  This  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Vishnu 
Parana  and  in  fact  of  all  the  schools.  But  it  is  not 
my  purpose  here  to  expound  the  teaching  of  the  Mys- 
teries, so  we  must  forego  further  comment. 

The  Kabbalah  is  of  value  in  throwing  light  upon 
the  exoteric  Hebrew  books,  although  it  has  been  so 
changed  that  it  cannot  be  trusted  to  reveal  the  ancient 
teaching  unless  corroborated  by  other  data. 

In  the  early  times  there  Was  a  company  of  prophets 
at  Naioth,  Bethel,  and  Jericho,  who  formed  schools 
of  Initiates  where  the  secret  teaching  was  imparted  to 
those  who  were  qualified  to  hear.  These  schools  of 
the  prophets  were  also  schools  for  the  development  of 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  63 

the  higher  psychic  and  spiritual  faculties,  while  in 
later  times  the  Essenes,  Theraputes,  and  other  com- 
munities, were  the  repositories  of  the  occult  Jewish 
teaching.  It  will  be  interesting  here  to  consider  these 
well  known  sects. 

THE  ESSENES. 

For  some  centuries  before  the  Christian  era  the  Es- 
senean  communities  dwelt  on  the  shores  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  Their  chief  characteristic  was  the  doctrine  of 
love — love  of  God,  love  of  virtue,  and  love  of  human 
kind.  They  lived  a  life  of  ascetic  communism  in 
which  certain  hours  were  devoted  to  the  study  of  re- 
ligion— the  mysteries  of  nature  and  revelation.  They 
had  an  inner  instruction,  an  occult  teaching,  which 
was  guarded  with  great  secrecy.  They  were  evidently 
in  contact  with  Chaldean  Kabbalism  as  they  made 
much  of  the  mysteries  connected  with  the  Tetragram- 
maton,  the  four  lettered  mystic  name  of  Deity. 

The  Essenes  had  their  degrees  and  Initiations,  in 
which  we  find  the  identity  of  teaching  between  Es- 
senism  and  Christianity  is  most  marked.  Mr.  Mead 
sums  up  these  points  of  contact  somewhat  as 
follows :  Converts  were  required  to  sell  their  po- 
sessions  and  give  to  the  poor,  for  the  laying 
up  of  treasure  was  regarded  as  injurious  to  a 
spiritual  life.  Not  only  did  the  Essenes  despise 
riches,  but  they  lived  a  life  of  self-imposed  poverty. 
Love  of  the  brotherhood  and  of  one's  neighbor  was 
the  soul  of  Essene  life,  and  the  basis  of  all  action; 
and  this  characteristic  of  their  discipline  called 
forth  universal  admiration.  The  members  lived  to- 
gether as  a  family,  had  all  things  in  common,  and  ap- 


64  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

pointed  a  steward  to  manage  the  common  purse.  When 
traveling  they  would  lodge  with  brethren  whom  they 
had  never  seen  before,  as  though  with  the  oldest  and 
most  intimate  friends;  and  thus  they  took  nothing 
with  them  when  they  went  on  a  journey.  All  members 
were  on  the  same  level,  and  the  authority  of  one  over 
another  was  forbidden;  nevertheless  mutual  service 
was  mutually  enjoined.  They  were  also  great  lovers 
of  peace,  and  so  refused  to  take  arms  or  manufacture 
warlike  weapons;  moreover  they  proscribed  slavery. 
The  ultimate  aim  of  the  Essenes  was  to  be  meek  and 
lowly  in  spirit,  to  mortify  all  sinful  lusts,  to  be  pure 
in  heart,  to  hate  evil  but  reclaim  the  evil  doer,  and  to 
be  merciful  to  all  men  and  moreover,  their  yea  was  to 
be  yea,  and  their  nay,  nay.  They  were  devoted  to  the 
curing  of  the  sick  and  the  healing  of  both  body  and 
soul,  regarding  the  power  to  perform  miraculous  cures 
and  cast  out  evil  spirits  as  the  highest  stage  of  dis- 
cipline. In  brief,  they  strove  to  be  so  pure  as  to  be- 
come temples  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  thus  seers  and 
prophets.  To  these  inner  communities  were  attached 
outer  circles  of  pupils  living  in  the  world,  and  found  in 
all  the  main  centres  of  the  Diaspora.  (Fragments 
of  a  Faith  Forgotten,  Mead,  p.  134.) 

The  Therapeutes  were  practically  the  same  as  the  Es- 
senes with  the  exception,  pointed  out  by  Philo,  that 
the  latter  were  devoted  to  the  practical  life,  while  the 
former  proceeded  to  the  higher  stages  of  the  con- 
templative life. 

It  would  be  interesting,  did  time  permit,  to  give  a 
full  account  of  these  Therapeutist  communities,  which 
were  so  like  early  Christianity  that  the  Church  Path- 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  65 

ers  always  recognized  them  as  Christians.  Philo  in  his 
"Contemplative  Life,"  gives  a  full  description  of  these 
"Wisdom  Lovers."  Through  their  yearning  for  the 
blessed  life  they  abandoned  the  world  and  sought  some 
secluded  spot,  and  gave  themselves  entirely  to  study 
and  contemplation.  In  Egypt  there  were  many  in 
every  Province,  and  especially  around  Alexandria. 
The  most  advanced  joined  the  Mareotic  colony,  which 
was  situated  just  south  of  Alexandria  on  a  small 
plateau.  The  dwellings  of  this  community  were  very 
simple,  each  containing  a  small  chamber  or  closet  in 
which,  in  solitude,  they  performed  the  mysteries  of 
the  holy  life. 

Philo  would  lead  us  to  believe  that  the  Therapeutes 
were  all  Jews.  This  was  probably  true  of  the  Mare- 
otic  community  with  which  he  was  connected  as  lay 
pupil,  but  this  was  only  one  of  a  vast  number  of  such 
communities  scattered  all  over  the  world.  It  is  quite 
probable  that  many  of  these  were  as  strongly  tinged 
with  Egyptian  or  Zoroastrian  or  Orphic  elements  as 
the  one  south  of  Alexandria  was  with  Judaism.  Many 
of  these  communities  were  purely  eclectic — com- 
bining traditions  and  elements  of  the  various 
schools. 

THE  PHARISEES. 

We  are  fairly  familiar  with  the  external  side  of 
Phariseeism — the  minute  ceremonialism  and  elaborate 
rules  of  external  piety — but  the  inner  side  is  not  so 
well  understood.  The  most  learned  of  the  Jews  be- 
longed to  this  sect,  which  originated  in  Babylon,  and 
represented  the  main  stream  of  Chaldean  and  Persian 
influence  on  Judaism.  In  the  course  of  time  it  became 


66  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

divided  into  many  schools,  the  strictest  of  which  led 
a  life  of  internal  piety.  The  highest  aim  of  this  school 
was  to  attain  to  such  a  state  of  holiness,  as  to  be  able 
to  perform  miraculous  cures  and  to  prophesy.  The 
degrees  of  holiness  practiced  by  this  sect  are  given  by 
Mr.  Mead  as  follows:  (i.)  the  study  of  the  law  and 
circumspection;  (n.)  the  noviciate,  in  which  the  apron 
was  a  symbol  of  purity;  (in.)  external  purity,  by 
means  of  lustrations  or  baptisms;  (IV.)  celibacy; 
(V.)  inward  purity,  purity  of  thought;  (VI.)  a  still 
higher  stage,  which  is  not  further  defined;  (VII.) 
meekness  and  holiness;  (VIII.)  dread  of  every  sin; 
(IX.)  the  highest  stage  of  holiness;  (X.)  the  stage 
which  enabled  the  adept  to  heal  the  sick  and  raise  the 
dead.  (Ibid,  p.  133.) 

It  is  quite  evident  that  there  was  a  wide  difference 
between  the  tenets  of  the  Healers  and  the  other  Phar- 
isees who  believed  in  the  blood  sacrifices  of  the 
Temple-worship  and  the  resurrection  of  the  physical 
body.  This  again  illustrates  the  difference  between 
the  exoteric  and  esoteric  cults. 

All  these  mystic  schools  constituted  links  in  the 
chain  of  the  Wisdom  or  Gnosis  transmission.  Jesus 
himself  taught  nothing  new,  he  merely  illuminated  the 
traditions  of  the  Gnosis,  and  in  his  public  teaching 
practically  threw  open  to  all  some  of  the  intermediate 
grades  of  the  Mysteries.  The  Jews,  then,  in  common 
with  all  the  ancient  nations,  were  in  possession  of  an 
occult  teaching,  which  is  the  same  old  Wisdom  Re- 
ligion, that  has  ever  stood  as  the  background  of  the 
popular  religious  systems. 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  67 

The  distinction  sometimes  made  between  re- 
ligions— that  the  Jewish  and  Christian  are  pure,  and 
that  the  Pagan  is  spurious,  is  an  error  due  to  a  very 
narrow  conception.  The  higher  criticism  and  recent 
study  of  comparative  religions  has  shown  us  that  we 
can  no  longer  hold  to  the  belief  in  one  perfect  su- 
pernatural religion,  condemning  all  others  as  false. 
That  God  left  the  world  to  wander  in  darkness 
until  two,  three  or  four  thousand  years  ago  is  contra- 
dicted by  every  Sage,  and  by  the  great  body  of  re- 
ligious literature  that  preceded  the  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian eras.  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  therefore 
no  religion  has  a  monopoly  of  truth.  Each  great 
World-Faith  has  a  part  to  play  in  the  Divine  Economy. 
While  we  recognize  Jesus  as  the  great  Initiate  and 
Messenger  to  the  Western  world,  let  us  not  ignore  the 
other  Divine  Teachers  whom  God  has  sent  as  Mes- 
sengers from  the  same  Great  Lodge.  The  same  Wis- 
dom illuminated  them  all — they  are  all  kindred  and  be- 
long to  the  same  Great  Brotherhood. 

Limited  time  has  prevented  me  from  going  into 
greater  details  regarding  the  ceremonies  of  Initiation. 
Enough,  however,  has  been  said  to  bear  out  the  fact 
that  all  the  Mysteries  of  antiquity  have  a  common  or- 
igin. They  bear  the  most  striking  resemblance  to  each 
other  both  in  ceremonies  and  doctrines.  Thus,  we 
have  seen  that  Initiations  in  all  the  Mysteries  were 
set  forth  in  a  Mystery-Myth,  sometimes  called  the 
Sun-Myth,  which  in  its  various  settings  symbolizes  the 
activity  of  the  Logos,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  mystic 
life  of  the  Initiate  on  the  other.  The  hero  of  the 
Myth,  representing  the  Solar  Logos  and  the  Perfect 
Initiate,  was  known  by  different  names  in  different 


68  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

countries — Osiris-Horus  in  Egypt,  Ormazd-Mithra  in 
Persia,  Zeus-Hermes  in  Greece,  Jupiter-Ammon  in 
Rome,  Thor-Balder  in  Britain  and  Scandinavia. 

The  Initiates  knew  the  real  meaning  of  these 
Myths,  for  literally  the  Sun  is  not  born  and  does  not 
die,  nor  is  it  raised  from  the  dead.  The  recitals  of 
these  events  are  allegories,  which  veil  a  deeper  truth. 
In  the  popular  religions  the  Sun  became  the  object  of 
worship,  and  the  Hero  of  the  Myths  became  the  God 
of  the  various  religions  when  the  symbol  was  mistaken 
for  the  thing  symbolized.  The  Myth  is  an  allegory 
of  the  activity  of  the  Logos  in  the  Cosmos,  and  of  the 
various  stages  of  Initiation,  and  like  all  the  rites,  it 
typifies  the  mystic  life  of  every  Initiate.  Every  per- 
fected Master  becomes  a  Christ,  a  Hermes,  etc.  In- 
itiation consists  in  attaining  the  Master-state.  A  fail- 
ure to  understand  these  symbols  and  allegories  resulted 
in  the  crude  dogmas  of  popular  theology.  Many  have 
read  this  later  thought  into  the  Mysteries  themselves, 
and  have  supposed  that  the  rites  merely  symbolized  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  some  Hero  or  Demi-God — 
some  special  divine  personage  who  was  considered  by 
the  celebrants  as  a  God.  According  to  this  the  aspir- 
ant was  merely  representing  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  the  God  from  whom,  the  Mysteries  derived  their 
name.  This  crude  conception  falls  far  short  of  the 
reality,  for  the  cosmic  aspect  of  all  these  religious  trag- 
edies was  symbolized  by  the  activity  of  the  Logos  in 
the  universe,  but  these  Sun-Myths  also  typify  the 
mystic  life  of  the  Initiate.  The  Initiate  did  not  merely 
represent  some  Hero,  he  was  the  Hero  himself,  and 
the  rites  typified  what  he  became — a  Buddha,  a 
Christ,  a  Mithra,  etc.,  one  whose  mystic  life  repre- 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  69 

sented  the  mystic  lives  of  all  who  had  previously 
trod  the  path,  though  that  was  not  the  primary 
significance  of  the  ceremony. 

Perhaps  after  the  Mysteries  became  corrupt  and  de- 
graded, so-called  Initiates  might  have  mis-read  the  al- 
legories and  symbols,  but  such  was  not  the  case  in  the 
days  of  the  real  Initiates — before  the  key  to  the 
Sacred  Science  was  lost. 

The  use  of  the  image,  in  some  instances  employed 
to  represent  the  candidate,  evidently  came  into  use 
when  the  Institution  had  become  so  changed  that  the 
candidate  objected  to  being  laid  away  in  the  tomb,  as 
was  originally  the  custom,  and  another  indication  of 
decline  was  the  physical  terror  to  which  the  candidate 
was  subjected.  This  was  to  test  his  courage  and  was 
supposed  to  illustrate  the  experiences  he  would 
meet  in  the  invisible  world. 

In  the  early  days,  we  are  told,  the  candidate  was  en- 
tranced when  laid  away  in  the  tomb,  he  then  actually 
visited  the  invisible  world  and  encountered  the  gro- 
tesque images  and  forms  to  be  seen  there.  He  was 
taught  the  "words  of  power"  and  the  "signs  of  power," 
although  they  were  only  a  means  of  strengthening  the 
will,  which  alone,  however,  is  sufficient  to  overcome 
the  phantomed  terrors.  The  Hierophant  also  used  his 
occult  power  to  materialize  illustrations  of  various 
postmortem  conditions. 

That  the  Mysteries  were  designed  to  reveal  the  in- 
visible world,  is  clearly  stated  by  Plutarch,  who  was 
himself  an  Initiate  of  high  standing.  He  says  that 
when  a  man  dies  he  goes  through  the  same  experiences 
as  those  who  have  their  consciousness  increased  in  the 


70  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Mysteries.  Thus  in  the  terms,  'to  die'  and  'to  be  In- 
itiated' we  have  an  exact  correspondence,  word  to  word 
and  fact  to  fact.  First  of  all  there  are  wanderings 
and  weary  journey  ings  and  paths  on  which  we  look 
with  suspicion,  and  that  seem  to  have  no  termination; 
then,  before  the  end,  every  kind  of  terror,  shuddering, 
trembling,  sweating,  stupor.  But  at  last  a  marvelous 
light  shines  out  to  meet  us,  pure  scenes  and  fair  fields 
welcome  us,  with  song  and  dance  and  the  solemnities 
of  sacred  sounds  and  holy  sights.  In  which  state  he 
who  has  already  perfected  himself  in  all  things,  and 
received  Initiation,  accomplishes  his  mystery,  reaches 
his  full  freedom,  and  passing  everywhere  at  will,  he  re- 
ceives the  crown,  and  is  in  communion  with  the  holy 
and  pure ;  now  gazing  down  upon  the  unpurified 
multitude  of  the  uninitiated  who  are  still  in 
life,  wallowing  in  the  deep  mire  and  mist,  and 
abiding  in  misery  from  fear  of  death  and  want  of 
faith  in  the  blessedness  of  the  soul-life.  (Plut.  Frag. 
V.  9  ed.  Didot.} 

The  vision  of  Aridaeus^  also  given  by  Plutarch  was, 
according  to  Mead,  either  a  literary  subterfuge  for 
describing  some  of  the  instruction  in  certain  Mysteries, 
or  a  partial  description  of  the  invisible  world  and  the 
conditions  of  the  soul  after  death,  although,  as  we  have 
said,  the  former  was  a  revelation  of  the  latter.  But 
when  the  power  to  directly  reveal  the  future  state  was 
lost,  they  had  to  illustrate  it  by  dramatic  and  scenic 
representations.  To  produce  the  ghostly  images  and 
phantoms  in  the  physical  plane  Mysteries,  actors,  and 
even  mirrors  were  often  used — not  as  a  deception, 
however,  for  everybody  understood  that  these  were 
illustrations  only. 


Druidical,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  Jewish  Mysteries  71 

With  the  loss  of  the  higher  means  of  revelation, 
corruption  gradually  crept  in  and  man  at  last  was 
left  to  win  his  deliverance  without  the  visible  aid 
of  the  Great  Teachers,  yet  we  are  assured  by  wise 
preceptors  that  those  great  souls  remain  constant, 
even  though  unseen,  and  are  ever  ready  to  aid  and 
assist  the  needy  whenever  they  comply  with  the 
great  occult  law  of  the  universe. 

THE  DECLINE  OF  THE  MYSTERIES. 

The  cause  of  the  decline  of  the  Mysteries  was  the 
personal  ambition  of  crafty  priests  and  despotic  rulers. 
They  began  to  lose  this  grandeur  and  glory  before  the 
days  of  Aristotle,  their  retrogression,  however,  was 
gradual ;  for  at  the  time  of  Cicero  they  retained  much 
of  their  early  sanctity  and  purity,  and  even  as  late 
as  the  time  of  Nero,  for  as  unscrupulous  as  he  be- 
came he  did  not  dare  to  aid  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Mysteries  after  commiting  a  hideous 
crime.  The  great  occult  knowledge  which  had 
moved  westward  for  thousands  of  years  began 
about  500  B.  C.  to  recede  to  its  Eastern  sourse. 

Owing  to  the  Ethiopian  invasion  570  B.  C.,  the  royal 
throne  fell  into  the  hands  of  Amases,  a  man  of  low 
birth,  who  destroyed  the  priestly  order.  It  is  not 
strange,  that  in  the  decadence  of  Greece  and  Rome, 
even  the  Mysteries  should  share  in  the  general  degra- 
dation. Selfishness  ruled  with  an  iron  hand  and  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  true  spirit  of 
the  Mysteries  was  withheld,  leaving  only  the  outer 
forms  behind.  It  would  be  unfair  to  judge  the  real 
Mysteries  from  the  relics  of  this  period. 


72  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  last  of  the  Pagan  Mysteries  in  Europe  disap- 
peared with  the  destruction  of  the  great  cities  of  Gaul 
— Alesia,  Bibractis  and  Aries,  and  although  the  great 
world-wide  institution  nearly  perished  except  in  the 
East,  the  secret  doctrine  was  not  lost,  nor  entirely 
abandoned  even  in  the  West.  It  is  quite  a  task  to  fol- 
low it  through  the  shifting  religious  life  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  but  recent  investigations  have  shown 
that  it  has  been  unbrokenly  continued  in  secret 
fraternities  from  age  to  age.  We  shall  trace  this 
descent  in  a  future  lecture. 


LECTURE  IV. 
THE  CHRISTIAN  MYSTERIES. 

THE    TESTIMONY    OF    JESUS    AND    THE    APOSTLES. 

The  Christian  Religion,  in  common  with  all  the 
great  religions  of  antiquity,  originally  possessed  an  in- 
ner or  occult  teaching. 

W.  J.  B.  MacLeod  Moore  33°,  Supreme  Grand  Mas- 
ter "Ad  Vitam"  of  the  Sovereign  Priory  of  Canada, 
United  Orders  of  the  Temple  of  Malta,  says :  'The 
secrets  of  the  Mystery  of  Christianity  were  only 
communicated  to  the  Initiates,  and  these  Initiates  were 
first  made  Christians,  then  advanced  in  Christianity, 
and  finally  raised  to  a  knowledge  of  all  its  Aporrheta. 
There  were  three  degrees  or  steps  in  Christianity ,and 
its  religious  system  was  known  as  the  'Disciplina  Ar- 
cana'— the  discipline  of  the  secret.  There  was  an  eso- 
teric and  exoteric  doctrine.  The  three  classes  who 
received  the  three  degrees  of  the  primitive  church 
were  the  'Catechumens,'  the  'Competentes,'  and  the  'II- 
luminati.'  In  the  first  degree  of  Christianity  the  can- 
didate was  baptized.  Baptism  introduced  the  be- 
liever to  the  Christian  Mystery.  The  sacred  doctrines 
taught  in  the  several  degrees  were  those  of  the 
'Trinity  in  Unity/  the  'Incarnation  of  the  Logos 
or  Son  of  God,'  'the  Crucifixion,'  'the  Resur- 
rection,' and  the  'Secret  of  the  Liturgy.'  Bap- 
tism initiated  the  candidate,  while  a  participa- 
tion in  the  Lord's  Supper,  or  Eucharist,  marked 


74  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

the  raising  of  the  candidate  to  the  highest  de- 
gree of  Christian  light  and  doctrine.  All  through 
the  writings  of  the  early  Fathers  of  the  Church  refer- 
ence is  made  to  the  Christian  Mysteries  and  theit 
secret  doctrines.  Initiates  were  strictly  forbidden  to 
paint,  cut  or  carve  any  reference  to  them."  (History 
of  Freemasonry  and  Concordant  Orders,  p.  746.) 

Before  we  examine  the  records  to  see  if  this  con- 
tention can  be  substantiated,  let  us  first  note  something 
of  the  Christian  movement.  The  origin  of  Christi- 
anity is  involved  in  great  obscurity.  Even  the  period 
at  which  Jesus  lived  is  a  matter  of  controversy.  The 
following  occult  account  accords  with  the  Talmud  in 
stating  that  Jesus  lived  in  the  days  of  King  Jannai, 
who  reigned  over  the  Jews  104  to  78  B.  C.,  and  is  as 
follows :  "The  child  whose  Jewish  name  has  been 
turned  into  that  of  Jesus  was  born  in  Palestine,  B.  C. 
105,  during  the  consulate  of  Publicus  Rutilus  Rufus 
and  Gnaeus  Mallius  Maximus.  His  parents  were 
well-born  though  poor,  and  he  was  educated  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  His  fervent 
devotion  and  a  gravity  beyond  his  years  led  his  par- 
ents to  dedicate  him  to  the  religious  and  ascetic  life, 
and,  soon  after  a  visit  to  Jerusalem,  in  which  the  ex- 
traordinary intelligence  and  eagerness  for  knowledge 
of  the  youth  were  shown  in  his  seeking  of  the  doctors 
in  the  Temple,  he  was  sent  to  be  trained  in  an  Essene 
community  in  the  southern  Judean  desert.  When  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  he  went  on  to  the  Es- 
sene Monastery  near  Mount  Serbal,  a  monastery  which 
was  much  visited  by  learned  men  traveling  from  Per- 
sia and  India  to  Egypt,  and  where  a  magnificent  li- 
brary of  occult  works — many  of  them  Indian  of  the 


The  Christian  Mysteries 


Trans-Himalayan  regions  —  had  been  established.  From 
this  seat  of  mystic  learning  he  proceeded  later  to 
Egypt.  He  had  been  fully  instructed  in  the  secret 
teachings  which  were  the  real  fount  of  life  among  the 
Essenes,  and  was  initiated  in  Egypt  as  a  disciple  of 
that  one  Sublime  Lodge  from  which  every  great  re- 
ligion has  its  Founder.  For  Egypt  has  remained  one 
of  the  world  centres  of  the  true  Mysteries,  whereof 
all  semi-public  Mysteries  are  the  faint  and  far-off 
reflections.  The  Mysteries  spoken  of  in  history  as 
Egyptian,  were  the  shadows  of  the  true  things  'in  the 
Mount,'  and  there  the  young  Hebrew  received  the 
solemn  consecration  which  prepared  him  for  the  Royal 
Priesthood  he  was  later  to  attain."  (Esoteric  Christi- 
anity Besant,  p.  128  &  129.) 

The  time  having  come  for  the  founding  of  a  new 
religion,  a  suitable  tabernacle  was  needed  for  the  Great 
Teacher  who  was  to  be  sent  into  the  world.  Jesus  of- 
fered his  body  as  a  willing  sacrifice.  One  called  the 
Christ  took  possession  of  Jesus'  body  at  the  age  of 
29,  and  for  two  years  instructed  the  heads  of  the  Es- 
sene  communities,  and  for  one  year  he  taught  the 
general  public.  It  is  only  of  the  last  year's  work  that 
some  tradition  is  preserved  for  us  in  the  Gospel  story. 
He  was  finally  rejected  by  the  Essenes  because  he  car- 
ried to  the  outer  world  some  portions  of  the  spiritual 
wisdom  which  they  regarded  as  their  exclusive  possess- 
ion. The  clouds  of  hatred  thickened  until  finally  the 
body  of  Jesus  paid  the  penalty  for  enshrining  the  Great 
Teacher.  But  the  Master  did  not  forget  his  promise 
to  return  to  his  chosen  disciples,  and  for  some  fifty 
years  he  visited  them  in  his  spiritual  body,  and  con- 
tinued his  instruction  in  the  secret  teaching.  This  in- 


76  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

ner  instruction  constituted  the  basis  of  the  Christian 
Mysteries.  During  this  time  the  disciples  lived  to- 
gether in  a  retired  spot  on  the  outskirts  of  Judea,  at- 
tracting small  attention  because  of  the  many  similar 
communities.  During  its  embryonic  stage  the  new  re- 
ligion was  hidden  in  the  womb  of  communities,  similar 
to  that  of  the  Therapeutes.  It  was  some  years  before 
it  emerged  and  began  its  general  propaganda,  and  it 
was  only  when  the  disciples  were  fully  prepared  that 
they  went  forth  to  preach. 

After  Jesus'  death  he  completed  his  human  evolution 
.and  became  a  Perfect  Master.  The  Christ  then  sur- 
rendered to  Jesus  the  care  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  He  became  the  Hierophant  in  the  Christian  Mys- 
teries. He  was  the  inspiration  that  kept  alive  the 
Gnosis  in  the  Church  until  the  mass  of  ignorant  self- 
ishness became  too  great  for  its  continuance.  But  he 
has  sought  thoroughout  the  centuries,  and  is  seeking 
to-day,  for  those  who  have  eyes  to  see  and  ears  to 
hear  Wisdom.  (For  full  exposition  see  "Esoteric 
Christianity,"  Besant,  Ch.  IV.) 

This  is  the  occult  teaching,  which  is  fully  corrobor- 
ated by  the  doctrine  of  the  early  Gnostics.  They  held 
that  those  whom  Christ  originally  instructed  in  the 
higher  doctrines,  brought  about  his  condemnation  for 
blasphemy  by  the  Orthodox  Jewish  authorities,  be- 
cause they  considered  that  his  too  open  teaching  was  a 
divulgence  of  the  Mysteries.  They  also  held,  as  can 
be  seen  by  consulting  the  Pistis  Sophia,  written  by 
Valentinus,  that  after  Jesus'  death  he  continued  his 
instruction  of  the  disciples.  For  eleven  years  he 
taught  them  so  far  as  "the  regions  of  the  first  statues 


The  Christian  Mysteries  77 

only  and  up  to  the  regions  of  the  first  mystery,  the 
mystery  within  the  veil."  Notwithstanding,  there 
were  omissions  of  many  points  which  as  yet  they 
were  unable  to  comprehend,  the  instruction  was  so 
wonderful  that  they  thought  that  all  had  been  revealed, 
the  gnosis  of  all  gnoses.  In  the  twelfth  year,  having 
received  the  robe  of  glory,  he  says  to  his  disciples 
"Lo,  I  have  put  on  My  vesture,  and  all  power  hath 
been  given  Me  by  the  First  Mystery.  Yet  a  little  while 
and  I  will  tell  you  the  mystery  of  the  pleroma  and  the 
pleroma  of  the  pleroma;  I  will  conceal  nothing  from 
you  from  this  hour,  but  in  perfectness  will  I  perfect 
you  in  the  whole  pleroma,  and  all  perfection,  and  every 
mystery ;  which  things,  indeed,  are  the  perfection,  of  all 
perfections,  the  pleroma  of  all  pleroma,  and  the  gno- 
sis of  all  gnoses,  which  are  in  My  vesture.  I  will  tell 
you  all  mysteries  from  the  exterior  of  the  exteriors,  to 
the  interior  of  the  interiors."  This  the  Master  did 
and  instructed  them  in  the  Mystery  of  the  First  Mys- 
tery and  the  Mystery  of  the  Ineffable.  Then  follows 
instruction  on  the  nature  of  the  preaching  by  the  dis- 
ciples when  the  Master  has  entered  the  Light,  and  the 
condition  upon  which  the  Mysteries  shall  be  given  to 
others.  He  then  teaches  them  regarding  the  postmor- 
tem state  of  the  sinner,  the  righteous  uninitiated,  and 
the  righteous  initiated,  etc.  This  secret  teaching  con- 
stituted the  Mysteries  of  Jesus. 

The  public  and  private  teaching  of  Jesus  naturally 
resulted  in  two  traditions.  The  mystic  tradition  repre- 
sents the  inner  teaching,  and  the  Ebionite  represents 
the  public  teaching.  It  was  against  the  original  fol- 
lowers of  the  public  tradition  that  Paul  contended  in 
his  efforts  to  universalize  Christianity.  The  Petro- 


78  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Pauline  controversy  was  a  struggle  between  the  exter- 
nal and  mystic  sides  of  the  new  movement.  The 
Ebionites  undoubtedly  preserved  the  original  and  true 
tradition  regarding  the  birth  and  nature  of  Jesus,  for 
they  held  that  Jesus  was  a.  man  born  as  other  men, 
the  natural  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary.  That  the  tradi- 
tion of  the  Ebionites  or  Nazaraens  differed  widely 
from  the  historicized  dogmas  of  later  times,  may  be 
seen,  even  to-day,  from  the  Codex  Nasarseus  of  the 
Mandaites,  the  descendants  of  the  Nazaraeans  who 
dwell  in  the  marshes  of  Southern  Babylonia.  We  must 
not  confuse  the  early  form  of  Ebionitism  with  the 
later  forms  which  were  of  a  Gnostic  nature — the  outer 
communities  being  finally  influenced  by  the  inner  Jew- 
ish tradition. 

Paul  himself  was  a  mystic,  in  touch  with  the  inner 
communities,  and  he  saw  that  Christianity  was  de- 
signed to  be  the  religion  of  the  new  race  about  to  be 
born.  It  is  evident  that  Paul  was  not  acquainted 
with  the  later  accounts  of  the  canonical  Gospels,  for  he 
does  not  teach  the  historical  Jesua  but  the  Mystic 
Christ.  The  canonical  accounts  were  probably  compiled 
in  the  last  quarter  of  the  first  century  or  in  the  first 
part  of  the  second,  that  is,  they  reached  their  present 
form  at  that  time.  The  synoptics  were  based  upon 
a  sketch  of  an  ideal  life,  written  by  one  of  the  Apos- 
tles of  the  inner  communities,  and  intended  for  gen- 
eral circulation.  Round  this  nucleus,  later  compilers, 
bishops  of  the  outer  churches,  wove  much  other  mat- 
ter which  was  selected  from  a  mass  of  legend  and  tra- 
dition. Orthodoxy  or  General  Christianity  traces  its 
origin  to  these  documents. 

We  are  now  ready  to  examine  the  teachings  of 


The  Christian  Mysteries  _o 

Jesus  and  the  Apostles,  and  see  if  we  can  find  any 
trace  or  reference  to  an  inner  occult  teaching.  Upon 
reading  an  account  of  Jesus'  teaching  we  find  him 
constantly  making  use  of  certain  terms  which  are 
usually  employed  to  designate  an  inner  circle  of  In- 
itiation. 

In  the  fourth  chapter  of  Mark  is  recorded  the  par- 
able of  the  sower,  given  by  Jesus  to  the  multitude,  at 
the  conclusion  of  which  he  said,  "He  that  hath  ears 
to  hear  let  him  hear."  "And  when  he  was  alone,"  the 
writer  says,  "they  that  were  about  him  with  the  twelve 
asked  of  him  the  parable,"  and  He  said  unto  them, 
"Unto  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the 
kingdom  of  God ;  but  unto  them  that  are  without,  all 
these  things  are  done  in  parables."  (Mark,  IV.,  9, 
10,  n).  A  little  later  in  the  same  chapter  we  are 
told,  "With  many  such  parables  spake  He  the  word 
unto  them,  as  they  were  able  to  hear  it.  But  without  a 
parable  spake  he  not  unto  them,  and  when  they  were 
alone  he  expounded  all  things  to  his  disciples."  (Ibid, 
33,  34.)  The  writer  records  the  intellectual  inter- 
pretation of  the  parable  of  the  sower  given  by  Jesus 
to  his  disciples.  These  things  have  a  three-fold  mean- 
ing— a  surface,  an  intellectual  interpretation,  and  a 
mystical  or  spiritual  meaning,  which  was  never  writ- 
ten but  was  committed  orally  by  the  teacher  to  his 
pledged  disciple.  Origen  says  all  Scripture  has  a 
body,  the  common  historical  sense ;  a  soul,  a  figurative 
meaning  to  be  intellectually  discerned;  and  a  spirit, 
an  inner  occult  sense,  known  only  to  the  spiritually 
minded.  It  was  this  inner  occult  teaching  that  Jesus 
gave  to  those  "in  the  house  when  they  were 
alone," — to  those  who  were  privileged  to  "know 
the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  God." 


80  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  or  Kingdom  of  God  re- 
fers to  the  Mystery-Institution  or  to  the  spiritual  state 
which,  the  discipline  and  knowledge  or  Gnosis  re- 
vealed in  the  Mysteries,  enabled  one  to  attain.  In 
the  Pistis  Sophia  Jesus  is  said  to  have  brought  the 
"Keys  of  the  Mysteries  of  the  Kingdom  of  Light," 
meaning  that  the  perfect  Initiate  had  attained  the 
Kingdom,  the  high  spiritual  state,  even  while  on 
earth.  In  the  "Book  of  the  Great  Logos,"  another 
early  Gnostic  treatise,  we  are  told  that  those  who 
have  received  the  Greater  Mysteries,  the  Mysteries 
of  the  Light  Treasure,  "have  already  inherited  the 
Kingdom  of  God  while  still  on  earth ;  they  have 
their  share  in  the  Light  Treasure  and  are  immortal 
Gods." 

We  see  by  this  the  real  meaning  of  Jesus'  saying, 
"Give  not  that  which  is  holy  to  the  dogs,  neither 
cast  ye  your  pearls  before  swine/'  (Matt.  VII.,  6.) 
"Dogs"  like  "the  vulgar"  and  "the  profane"  was  a 
term  applied  by  those  within  a  certain  circle,  to  all 
who  were  on  the  outside.  This  was  the  sense  in 
which  Jesus  used  the  terms;  for  those  not  initiated 
into  the  mysteries  of  the  knowledge  could  not 
understand  the  inner  teaching;  and  to  give  it  to 
them  would  be  like  casting  pearls  before  swine. 

Again  the  names  "Kingdom,"  the  "Kingdom  of 
God"  or  the  "Kingdom  of  Heaven,"  the  "Strait  Gate" 
the  "Narrow  Way,"  the  "Saved,"  are  all  technical 
terms  connected  with  Initiation  and  the  Mysteries. 
This  is  evident  from  the  passages  in  which  these  terms 
occur.  The  question  was  asked  Jesus,  "Are  there 
few  that  be  saved?"  and  he  replied,  "Strive  to  enter 
in  at  the  strait  gate:  for  many,  I  say  unto  you,  will 


The  Christian  Mysteries 


seek  to  enter  in,  and  shall  not  be  able."  (Luke  XIII, 
23,  24.)  Again,  he  said,  "Enter  ye  in  at  the  strait 
gate  :  for  wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that 
leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be  which  go 
in  thereat:  because  strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is 
the  way,  which  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there  be 
that  find  it."  (Matt.,  VII,  13,  14.) 

The  application  of  this  passage  to  the  future  world 
is  without  foundation.  To  suppose  that  many  will 
earnestly  seek  to  enter  heaven  but  will  be  unable  to 
gain  admission  is  both  unreasonable  and  unscriptural. 
When  the  Seer  of  the  Apocalypse  describes  the  heaven- 
world  he  does  not  behold  merely  a  few,  but  a  "great 
multitude  which  no  man  could  number."  (Rev. 
VIL,  9.) 

The  "Strait  Gate"  here  is  not  the  gateway  of 
heaven,  but  the  gateway  of  Initiation.  Few,  indeed, 
have  succeeded  in  entering  this  "Strait  Gate,"  al- 
though many  have  sought  its  portals.  There  are 
some,  even  to-day,  who  can  bear  witness  to  this  state- 
ment, some  who  for  years  have  striven  but  have  not 
yet  reached  the  goal.  The  "Saved,"  the  true  Initiates, 
those  who  have  attained  the  "Kingdom,"  or  spiritual 
Nirvana,  have  always  been  few.  Some  three  thousand 
years  earlier,  Krishna  said,  "Among  thousands  of 
men,  scarce  one  striveth  for  perfection;  of  the  suc- 
cessful strivers  scarce  one  knoweth  me  in  essence." 
The  great  multitude  have  always  followed  the  broad 
way  which  leadeth  time  and  again  to  destruction  ;  only 
the  few  have  sought  the  narrower  and  steeper  road  of 
Initiation  that  leadeth  direct  unto  life. 

The  student  of  the  worlds'  Scriptures  is  familiar 


g2  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

with  the  symbol  of  the  "Narrow  Way."  It  is  the 
old  narrow  way  so  often  referred  to,  the  "Path  diffi- 
cult to  tread  as  the  edge  of  a  razor."  Jesus  does  not 
use  the  symbol  in  any  new  sense.  It  is  the  old 
'"'Strait  Gate"  and  "Narrow  Way"  of  Initiation.  This 
was  symbolized  in  the  Ancient  Mysteries  by  the  nar- 
row stone  orifice  which  separated  each  of  the  seven 
caverns  from  its  successor,  and  through  which  the  can- 
didate had  to  pass  in  going  from  one  chamber  to  the 
next.  The  King's  Chamber  in  the  great  Pyramid  was 
entered  through  such  a  gate.  Regarding  this  Mr.  Stans- 
land  Wake  says,  "The  so-called  King's  Chamber.  . .  . 
was  probably  the  place  to  which  the  Initiate  was  ad- 
mitted after  he  had  gone  through  the  narrow  upward 
passage,  and  the  grand  gallery  with  its  lowly  termina- 
tion which  gradually  prepared  him  for  the  final  stage 
of  the  Sacred  Mysteries."  (Origin  and  Significance 
of  the  Great  Pyramids,"  p.  93.)  This  passage  sym- 
bolized the  "Narrow"  or  "Strait  Gate"  which  "leadeth 
unto  life" — the  new  spiritual  rebirth — to  which  Jesus 
referred.  It  was  a  symbol,  the  meaning  of  which  was 
well  understood  by  every  Initiate.  The  Mason  will 
recall  a  similar  symbol  in  the  gateway  through  which 
he  passed  in  the  Royal  Arch  Degree. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note,  in  this  connection,  the  in- 
cident of  the  young  man  who  came  to  Jesus  and  ad- 
dressing him  said,  "Good  Master,  what  good  thing 
shall  I  do  that  I  may  have  eternal  Life?"  He  wished 
to  secure  a  permanent  abode  in  that  world  where  they 
die  no  more,  in  other  words,  he  was  seeking  liberation 
frofn  the  necessity  of  repeated  births  and  deaths.  Re- 
member, the  Jews  believed  that  all  imperfect  souls 
returned  to  earth  life.  In  reply  Jesus  gave  the  usual 


The  Christian  Mysteries  83 

exoteric  answer,  "Keep  the  commandments."  But  when 
the  young  man  said  he  had  kept  all  these  from  his  youth 
up,  Jesus  said  to  him,  "If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go 
and  sell  that  thou  hath  and  give  to  the  poor  and 
thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven  and  come  and 
follow  me."  (Matt.  XIX.,  21.) 

To  be  "Perfect"  is  to  attain  a  certain  stage  of  In- 
itiation. Jesus  here  uses  a  technical  term,  the  mean- 
ing of  which  was  well  known  at  that  tirrre.  The  Es- 
senes  used  the  term  to  denote  a  certain  class  in  their 
communites.  They  had  three  divisons — the  Neo- 
phytes, the  Brethren  and  the  Perfect.  If  thou  wilt 
be  "Perfect,"  a  member  of  the  Kingdom,  you  must 
comply  with  the  conditions — poverty  and  obedience. 
Such  has  always  been  a  condition  for  Initiation.  When 
the  young  man  heard  the  necessity  of  this  he  went 
away  sorrowful;  for  he  had  great  possessions.  Jesus 
then  turned  to  his  disciples  and  moralized  upon  the  dif- 
ficulties that  stand  in  the  way  of  a  rich  man  entering 
upon  the  higher  stages  of  human  evolution,  saying, 
"It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  (Ibid  24.)  To  apply  this  to  the  future  state  is  ab- 
surd. Does  anyone  really  believe  that  no  rich  man  can 
enter  heaven  ?  There  seems  to  be  no  great  haste  in  get- 
ting rid  of  riches  on  account  of  the  text.  But  when  we 
understand  that  the  "Kingdom  of  Heaven"  means  the 
"Brotherhood  of  the  Initiated,"  we  see  at  once  that 
the  statement  is  literally  true.  One  cannot  gain  that 
knowledge  of  God  which  is  eternal  life,  the  condition 
of  the  "Perfect,"  while  engrossed  with  the  cares  of 
great  wealth.  It  is  only  when  one  is  stripped  of  these 
cares  and  anxieties,  incident  upon  the  possession  of 


84  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

great  riches  and  vast  interests  in  the  material  world, 
that  he  can  pass  the  narrow  gateway  of  the  world  of 
the  spirit.  Poverty,  obedience,  and  chastity  were  the 
vows  taken  by  the  candidate  for  Initiation  in  all  ages, 
and  Jesus  simply  repeats  the  universal  teaching. 

Another  indication  of  Jesus'  knowledge  of  the  tech- 
nical terms  of  Initiation  is  in  the  words  spoken  to  Nic- 
odemus,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man 
be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  Kingdom  of  God." 
(John  HI,  3.)  This  birth  or  baptism  is  spoken  of  as 
of  water  and  of  the  spirit,  the  first  baptism  is  the  first 
Initiation,  when  the  candidate  is  welcomed  as  a  "little 
child."  There  was  a  later  Initiation,  the  baptism  of 
the  Initiate,  in  his  manhood,  called;  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  fire.  (Matt.  Ill,  n.) 

In  the  Codex  Nasaraeus  of  the  Mandaites  there  is 
a  beautiful  story  of  this  mystic  baptism.  Jesus  conies 
to  Johannah  to  be  baptized — seeking  Initiation  into  the 
the  mystic  school  of  Johannah.  But  Johannah  recog- 
nizes him  as  the  Master  by  whose  power  he  had  been 
teaching  and  initiating  for  forty  and  two  years.  Jo- 
hannah gives  the  lower  Initiation  of  external  baptism 
to  Jesus,  and  receives  in  turn  the  true  spiritual  bap- 
tism from  the  Master  himself,  when  "He  gave  him 
the  grip  of  the  Rushta,  and  laid  his  hand  upon  him  in 
Jordan ;  and  He  made  him  lay  off  his  garment  of  flesh 
and  blood ;  and  He  clothed  him  in  a  raiment  of  glory." 
The  phrases  "little  ones,"  "little  child"  and  "children." 
were  used  in  the  mystic  circles  of  the  time  to  denote 
one  just  Initiated.  Johannah  says,  "Come  in  peace, 

Little  One Now,   I  go  with  thee,  Little   One, 

that  we  may  enter  the  stream. . . .     Come,  come,  Little 


The  Christian  Mysteries  85 

One  of  three  years  and  one  day,  youngest  among  his 
brethren  but  oldest  with  his  Father,  who  is  so  small 
yet  his  sayings  are  so  exalted."  In  the  Essene  and 
Therapeute  communities  senority  was  reckoned  not 
by  age,  but  by  the  years  the  brother  had  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Order.  The  "Second  Birth"  is  also  a  well 
recognized  and  universal  term  for  Initiation.  This 
will  be  clearly  seen  when  we  consider  more  definitely 
the  question  of  Initiation  in  a  succeeding  lecture. 

On  the  night  preceding  his  death,  Jesus  said  to  his 
Apostles,  "I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you, 
but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now."  (John  XVI,  12.)  Some 
of  these  things  were  undoubtedly  said  by  Jesus  after 
his  resurrection,  during  the  period  when  he  remained 
with  his  disciples,  "Speaking  to  them  of  the  things  per- 
taining to  the  Kingdom  of  God."  Of  course,  none  of 
these  things  pertaining,  as  they  did,  to  the  "Kingdom  of 
God" — the  Mysteries — are  publicly  recorded;  but  one 
cannot  doubt  that  they  were  treasured  and  handed 
down  orally  as  a  precious  heritage.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion in  the  early  church  that  this  instruction  continued, 
not  only  forty  days,  but  for  many  years. 

We  will  now  turn  to  St.  Paul.  We  shall  find  the 
writings  of  this  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  permeated  with 
references  to  occult  teachings  and  the  Mysteries;  his 
use  of  the  technical  terms  connected  with  Initiation 
is  sufficient  to  prove,  to  any  unprejudiced  mind,  the 
existence  of  the  inner  teaching  of  the  Church  in  its 
primitive  state. 

In  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  Paul  refers  to 
the  degree  of  "Perfection"  and  to  the  teaching  that 
belongs  to  that  degree;  he  says,  "We  speak  wisdom 


86  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

among  them  that  are  perfect.  .  .  We  speak  the  wis- 
dom of  God  in  a  mystery,  even  the  hidden  wisdom 
which  God  ordained  before  the  world  unto  our  glory: 
which  none  of  the  princes  of  this  world  knew.  .  . 
But  God  hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  spirit :  for 
the  spirit  searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things 
of  God.  .  .  Which  things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the 
words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth  but  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  teacheth."  (/  Cor.  n,  6,  7,  10,  13.) 

"And  I,  brethren,  could  not  speak  unto  you  as  unto 
spiritual,  but  as  unto  carnal,  even  as  unto  babes  in 
Christ.  I  have  fed  you  with  milk,  and  not  with  meat  ; 
for  hitherto  ye  were  not  able  to  bear  it,  neither  yet 
now  are  ye  able.  For  ye  are  yet  carnal ....  Asa  wise 
master-builder,  I  have  laid  the  foundation."  (/  Cor. 
III.,  i,  2,  3,  10.) 

"Let  a  man  so  account  of  us,  as  of  the  ministers  of 
Christ,  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God."  (I  Cor. 
IV,  i.) 

Is  it  not  evident  from  these  passages  that  the  Apos- 
tle possessed  an  inner  wisdom  that  the  Christians  at 
Corinth  were  not  yet  able  to  receive  ?  Remember  that 
these  words  were  addressed  to  those  who  were  in  full 
membership  of  the  Church.  They  had  all  that  the 
modern  church  gives  to  its  members,  but  there  was  a 
hidden  wisdom  which  they  could  not  yet  bear.  This 
wisdom  was  only  given  in  the  Mysteries — where  wis- 
dom was  spoken  among  the  "Perfect."  The  recurring 
technical  terms  in  these  passages  should  evidence  their 
connection  with  the  world-wide  Mysteries :  The  "Per- 
fect," the  "Wisdom,"  the  "Hidden  Wisdom,"  the  "Wis- 
dom of  God  in  a  Mystery,"  the  "wise  Master-builder," 


The  Christian  Mysteries  87 

"Stewards  of  the  Mysteries  of  God" — Paul  constantly 
uses  these  technical  terms  which  belong  to  the  mystic 
tradition.  The  communities  which  he  addressed  must 
have  been  familiar  with  his  nomenclature,  for  he  does 
not  speak;  of  these  things  as  new,  but  as  well  known 
to  those  to  whom  he  writes. 

In  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  Paul  refers  to  the 
Mysteries,  saying  that  by  "revelation  he  made  known 
unto  me  the  mystery,"  "my  knowledge  in  the  mystery 
of  Christ"  that  all  men  might  see  the  "fellowship  of 
the  mystery."  (Eph.  Ill,  3,  4,  9.) 

In  the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians,  Paul  declares  that 
he  had  been  made  a  minister  to  fulfill  the  word  of 
God,  "Even  the  mystery  which  hath  been  hid  from 
ages  and  from  generations,  but  now  is  made  manifest 
to  his  saints :  To  whom  God  would  make  known 
what  is  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery  among 
the  Gentiles ;  which  is  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of 
glory."  (Col.  I,  26-27.)  This  Christ  within  is  indeed 
a  mystery — it  is  the  life  of  the  Initiate,  which,  when 
fully  developed,  will  present  the  man  "perfect  in  Jesus 
Christ." 

In  the  Epistle  to  the  Philippians  Paul  says,  "I  count 
all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  Jesus.  .  .  That  I  may  know  him,  and  the 
power  of  his  resurrection,  and  the  fellowship  of  his 
sufferings,  being  made  conformable  unto  his  death :  If 
by  any  means  I  might  attain  unto  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead.  Not  as  though  I  had  already  attained,  either 
were  already  perfect.  .  .  Let  us  therefore,  as  many 
as  be  perfect,  be  thus  minded."  (Phil.  Ill,  8-15.) 


88  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  resurrection  which  the  Apostle  was  striving  to 
attain  was  not  the  ordinary  resurrection  of  Christian 
belief,  for  this  requires  no  effort.  But  there  is  a  "re- 
surrection" which  is  not  easily  attained.  Jesus  refers 
to  this  in  his  reply  to  the  Sadducees,  "But  they  which 
shall  be  accounted  worthy  to  obtain  that  world,  and  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead,  neither  marry  nor  are 
given  in  marriage :  neither  can  they  die  any  more :  for 
they  are  equal  unto  the  angels;  and  are  children  of 
God,  being  the  children  of  the  resurrection."  (Luke 
XX,  35,  36.) 

Jesus  here  connects  the  resurrection  with  liberation 
from  death — those  attaining  the  resurrection  "do  not 
die  any  more."  The  perfected  Initiate  was  liberated 
from  the  "circle  of  generations"  of  birth  and  death, 
he  was  worthy  to  obtain  that  world  of  permanent 
abode.  The  real  man  is  sexless  and  those  who  are 
able  to  abandon  their  animal  nature,  return  to  the  eter- 
nal essence  above,  where  there  is  neither  male  nor  fe- 
male, but  a  new  creature — this  is  the  true  resurrection. 
When  the  neophyte  reached  a  certain  stage  of  interior 
development  or  enlightment  he  was  said  to  "rise  from 
the  dead."  The  phrase  "resurrection  from  the  dead" 
is  a  mystical  phrase  denoting  the  new  birth  or  Gno- 
stic Illumination.  The  Apostle  was  striving  to  attain 
that  resurrection,  and  he  urges  "as  many  as  are  per- 
fect" to  strive  also.  He  does  not  urge  the  ordinary 
believer;  for  only  those  who  had  attained  to  the  de- 
gree of  the  "Perfect"  could  hope  for  immediate  de- 
liverance. He  was  already  of  the  "Perfect"  and  he 
says  to  his  fellow  Initiates,  "I  press  toward  the  mark 
for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus.  Let  us,  therefore,  as  many  as  be  perfect,  be  thus 


The  Christian  Mysteries  39 

minded."  The  Initiate  was  to  become  the  Risen  Christ. 

"The  ordinary  believer  had  put  on  Christ They 

were  babes  in  Christ Christ  was  the  Savior  to 

whom  they  looked  for  help,  knowing  Him  after  the 
flesh.  But  when  they  had  conquered  the  lower  nature 
and  were  no  longer  'carnal,'  then  they  were  to  enter  on 
a  higher  path,  and  were  themselves  to  become  Christ." 
(Esoteric  Christianity,  Besant,  p.  63.) 

Paul  had  struggled  to  attain  this  ideal  and  had  at 
last  succeeded.  He  says,  "I  am  now  ready  to  be  of- 
fered, and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for 
me  a  crown  of  righteousness."  (//  Timothy,  IV,  6-8.. 
"This  was  the  crown  given  'to  him  that  overcometh,' 
of  whom  it  is  said  .by  the  ascended  Christ:  'I  will 
make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God;  and  he 
shall  go  no  more  out."  (Rev.  Ill,  12.)  For  after  the 
Resurrection  the  Initiate  has  become  the  Perfect  Man, 
the  Master,  and  He  goes  out  no  more  from  the  Tem- 
ple." (Esoteric  Christianity,  p.  65.) 

In  the  First  Epistle  to  Timothy,  Paul  exhorts  his 
son  in  the  faith  to  see  that  nothing  is  done  contrary  to 
sound  doctrine.  Paul  declares  that  the  glorious  gospel 
of  the  blessed  God  has  been  committed  to  his  trust, 
and  he  commits  to  Timothy  an  important  charge  in 
this  connection.  "This  charge  I  commit  unto  thee, 
son  Timothy."  (/  Timothy,  L,  18.)  And  again  he  says, 
"O  Timothy,  keep  that  which  is  committed  to  thy 
trust."  (Ibid  VI.,  20.)  "Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound 

words  which  thou  hast  heard  of  me that  good  thing 

which  was  committed  unto  thee,  keep  by  the  Holy 


90  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Ghost  which  dwelleth  in  us."  (//  Timothy  I.,  13,  14.) 
"Neglect  not  the  gift  that  is  in  thee,  which  was  given 
thee  by  prophecy,  with  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of 
the  Presbytery" — of  the  Initiates.  (/  Timothy  IV.,  14.) 
This  knowledge  which  had  been  committed  to  Timothy 
and  which  he  was  to  guard  so  completely,  was  not  the 
common  knowledge  possessed  by  Christians  in  general, 
there  was  no  special  obligations  laid  upon  him  regard- 
ing that,  but  it  was  the  doctrine  committed  to  his 
trust  as  an  Initiate. 

Paul  instructs  him  to  select  deacons  from  among 
those  who  had  a  knowledge  of  the  "mystery  of  the 
Faith,"  and  the  "mystery  of  godliness."  He  was  fur- 
ther to  provide  for  the  transmission  of  this  sacred 
teaching,  "the  things  that  thou  hast  heard  of  me 
among  many  witnesses  [in  the  assembly  of  Initiates], 
the  same  commit  thou  to  faithful  men,  who  shall  be 
able  to  teach  others  also."  (//.  Timothy,  II,  2.)  This, 
of  course,  refers  to  the  sacred  oral  teachings  given 
only  to  Initiates.  If  the  ordinary  doctrines  of  the 
church  were  meant,  Timothy  would  have  been  in- 
structed to  write  it  down  for  transmission,  or  rather 
Paul  would  have  written  it  out  himself.  But  the 
secret  teaching  could  not  be  written;  they  were  not 
the  things  read  by  Timothy,  they  were  Paul's  private 
instructions,  given  within  the  sacred  precincts;  they 
were  to  be  transmitted  to  others  by  word  of  mouth. 
Paul  initiates  Timothy  into  the  Mysteries  of  the 
Church,  and  exhorts  him  to  "keep  that  which  is  com- 
mitted to  his  trust,"  and  to  provide  for  the  due  trans- 
mission of  this  knowledge  to  other  teachers.  We  thus 
have  provision  made  for  the  transmission  of  the  oc- 
cult wisdom  for  three  generations — Timothy  repre- 


The  Christian  Mysteries  91 

sents  the  generation  of  Christian  teachers  immedi- 
ately following  the  Apostles,  and  he  is  instructed  to 
commit  the  hidden  treasure  to  faithful  men  who  shall 
teach  others  in  turn. 

We  now  refer  to  the  writings  of  the  Apostolic 
Fathers,  and  we  shall  not  be  surprised  to  find  that 
they  possessed  an  esoteric  teaching,  for  the  provision 
made  by  Paul  overlaps  the  early  part  of  this  period. 
In  our  next  lecture  we  will  consider  the  testimony  of 
the  early  Church. 


LECTURE  V. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  MYSTERIES. 
(Concluded.) 

TESTIMONY   OF   THE   EARLY   CHURCH. 

In  the  last  lecture  we  examined  the  testimonies  of 
Christ  and  His  Apostles,  and  found  that  they  had  an 
inner  teaching,  a  deep  spiritual  knowledge,  which  was 
not  imparted  to  the  masses. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  the  history  of  the  early 
church  in  which  we  find  that  the  Mysteries,  as  es- 
tablished by  Christ,  constituted  a  definite  institution 
in  the  early  Christian  centuries. 

There  were  two  traditions  of  the  Christian  Gnosis 
— the  Gnostic,  which  recognized  the  Christian  Gnosis 
as  only  a  part  of  the  General  Gnosis,  and  the  ortho- 
dox, which  held  to  the  exclusive  character  of  the 
Christian  Gnosis. 

Let  us  first  consider  the  Gnostics.  The  very  mean- 
ing of  the  word  Gnostic  is  to  know.  The  Gnostics 
were  the  first  philosophers  and  theologians  of  the 
Christian  Church;  they  had  an  inner  esoteric  teach- 
ing which  they  claimed  came  direct  from  Jesus  and 
the  Apostles.  These  philosophers  were  not  only  the 
most  cultured  in  the  Christian  ranks,  but  were  zeal- 
ous workers  in  their  faith;  they  endeavored  to  for- 
mulate Christianity  as  a  universal  philosophy.  They 
lived  strictly  and  followed  the  path  of  righteousness, 


The  Christian  Mysteries 


93 


striving  by  every  means  to  purify  themselves  and  to 
realize  by  daily  practice  the  teachings  of  the  Master, 
seeking  always  the  science  of  realities— the  knowl- 
edge of  God,  hence  wisdom  was  their  goal  and  spir- 
itual things  their  study.  They  looked  at  the  problem 
of  cosmogony  and  anthropogeny  from  above,  and  in 
this  they  may  have  been  as  reasonable  in  their  proper 
domain  as  the  modern  scientist  who  looks  at  the  prob- 
lem from  below.  Until  the  middle  of  the  second  cen- 
tury, at  least,  they  continued  a  part  of  the  General 
Christian  body,  but  at  last  the  narrowness  and  bigotry 
of  those  who  followed  the  outer  tradition  succeeded 
in  having  them  denounced  as  heretics ;  and  this  chiefly 
for  contending  that  the  teachings  of  Christ  contained 
a  wisdom  that  transcended  the  comprehension  of  the 
multitude. 

The  Gnostics  had  their  Mysteries  and  Initiations. 
Even  in  the  recently  discovered  "Acts  of  John"  we 
have  a  fragment  of  the  early  Gnostic  ritual  of  the 
Mysteries ;  there  is  also  mention  of  some  of  the  de- 
grees such  as  the  "Initiation  of  the  Cross,"  and  in 
the  "Pistis  Sophia,"  the  "Books  of  the  Savior,"  and 
the  "Book  of  the  Great  Logos,"  there  is  constant 
mention  of  the  Mysteries.  The  Christian  Mysteries, 
like  the  Eleusinian,  were  divided  into  two  parts,  the 
Lesser  and  the  Greater. 

Beside  the  Greek  original  Gnostic  works  above 
mentioned,  we  have  some  Gnostic  fragments  recov- 
ered from  the  polemical  writings  of  the  Church 
Fathers,  but  as  these  writers  were  the  most  bitter  op- 
ponents of  the  Gnostics  they  are  not  a  very  accurate 
source  of  information.  Iraeneus  is  our  chief  inform- 
ant, but  he  has  been  shown  to  be  entirely  unreliable. 


94  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

I  am  convinced  that  the  Gnostics  came  the  nearest 
to  preserving  the  Gnosis  of  the  Master,  but  even  with 
them,  after  a  time,  the  great  spiritual  truths  became 
intermixed  with  many  fantastic  ideas. 

I  regret  that  space  does  not  permit  an  extended  ex- 
amination of  this  much  neglected  field  of  original 
Christian  mysticism,  but  as  all  admit  the  existence  of 
a  Gnostic  Gnosis,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  into 
further  details. 

Let  us  now  look  at  the  Orthodox  Gnosis.  This  rep- 
resents the  narrower  stream,  if  not  in  volume  at  least 
in  exclusiveness,  and  though  the  later  Church  fath- 
ers condemned  the  followers  of  this  tradition  equally 
with  the  Gnostics,  for  some  centuries  it  had  a  wide 
following  among  the  more  intelligent  of  the  early 
church. 

We  will  trace  this  tradition  more  fully:  Polycarp, 
a  fellow  disciple  with  Ignatius  and  St.  John,  in  his 
Epistle  to  the  Church  at  Philippi,  writes,  "I  trust  that 
ye  are  well  versed  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  that 
nothing  is  hid  from  you,  but  to  me  this  privilege  is 
not  yet  granted."  (Anti  Nicene  Fathers,  Am.  Ed. 
Vol.  i,  p.  35.)  It  is  evident  from  this  that  there  was 
a  hidden  teaching  in  which  Polycarp  was  not  yet  in- 
structed, for  he  trusts  that  those  to  whom  he  writes 
are  farther  advanced,  that  there  is  nothing  hid  from 
them,  so  Polycarp  evidently  was  not  yet  a  full  In- 
itiate. 

In  the  Epistle  to  Barnabas  its  writer  says,  "If  I 
should  take  the  trouble  to  communicate  to  you  some 
portion  of  what  I  have  myself  received,  it  would 
prove  to  me  a  sufficient  reward  that  I  minister  to 


The  Christian  Mysteries  95 

such  spirits."  (Epistle  to  Barnabas,  Ch.  i.)  It  is 
clear  from  this  that  Barnabas  had  received  instruc- 
tion in  addition  to  that  possessed  by  those  to  whom 
he  wrote. 

Ignatius,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  writes,  "I 
know  both  who  I  am  and  to  whom  I  write.  .  .  Ye 
are  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  with 
Paul,  the  holy,  the  martyred,  inasmuch  as  he  was  a 
'chosen  vessel."'  (Ch.  XII.)  In  the  Epistle  of  Ig- 
natius to  the  Trallians,  he  says,  "For  might  not  I 
write  to  you  things  more  full  of  mystery?  But  I 
fear  to  do  so,  lest  I  should  inflict  injury  on  you  who 
are  but  babes.  Pardon  me  in  this  respect,  lest,  as  not 
being  able  to  receive  their  weighty  import,  ye  should 
be  strangled  by  them.  For  even  I,  though  I  am 
bound  (for  Christ)  and  am  able  to  understand  heav- 
enly things,  the  angelic  orders,  and  the  different  sorts 
of  Angels  and  hosts,  the  distinctions  between  powers 
and  dominions,  and  the  diversities  between  thrones  and 
authorities,  the  mightiness  of  the  Aeons,  and  the  pre- 
eminence of  the  cherubim  and  seraphim,  the  sublimity 
of  the  spirit,  the  Kingdom  of  the  Lord,  and,  above  all, 
the  incomparable  majesty  of  Almighty  God — though 
I  am  acquainted  with  these  things,  yet  I  am  not  there- 
fore by  any  means  perfect;  nor  am  I  such  a  disciple 
as  Paul  or  Peter."  (Ch.  V.) 

This  passage  is  important  as  showing  that  the  Mys- 
teries dealt  with  "heavenly  things,"  the  "angelic  or- 
ders," etc. 

In  his  "Epistle  to  the  Philadelphians"  he  says,  "The 
priests  indeed  are  good,  but  the  High  Priest  [Hiero- 
phant]  is  better;  to  whom  the  holy  of  holies  has  been 


96  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

committed,  and  who  alone  has  been  trusted  with  the 
secrets  of  God."     (Ch.  IX.) 

In  the  "Constitutions  of  the  Holy  Apostles,"  as- 
cribed to  Qement,  Bishop  of  Rome,  the  author  in 
speaking  of  the  instruction  of  catechumens  and  their 
initiation  says,  "Now,  after  what  manner  those  ought 
to  live  that  are  initiated  into  Christ.  .  .  has  been 
said  in  the  foregoing  directions.  But  it  is  reasonable 
not  to  leave  even  those  who  are  not  yet  initiated  with- 
out assistance.  .  .  And  when  it  remains  that  the 
catechumen  is  to  be  baptized,  let  him  learn  what  con- 
cerns the  renunciation  of  the  devil,  and  the  joining  of 
himself  with  Christ;  for  it  is  fit  that  he  should  first 
abstain  from  things  contrary,  and  then  be  admitted  to 
the  Mysteries.  He  must  beforehand  purify  his  heart 
from  all  wickedness  of  disposition,  from  all  spot  and 
wrinkle,  and  then  partake  of  the  holy  things.  .  .  . 
that  so  the  candidate  for  baptism,  when  he  is  anointed, 
may  be  free  from  all  ungodliness,  and  may  become 
worthy  of  initiation."  (Book  VII,  Sec.  in.) 

We  now  come  to  Clement  of  Alexandria.  He  was 
a  disciple  of  Pantaenus,  master  of  the  Cathechetical 
School  in  Alexandria  and  afterward  succeeded  him 
as  the  head  of  the  school  in  189  A.  D.  Clement 
speaks  of  Pantaenus  and  two  others,  probably  Tatian 
and  Theodotus,  as  "preserving  the  tradition  of  the 
blessed  doctrine  derived  directly  from  the  holy  apos- 
tles, Peter,  James,  John  and  Paul,  the  sons  receiving 
it  from  the  father,  came  by  God's  will  to  us  also  to 
deposit  those  ancestral  and  apostolic  seeds.  .  .  the 
Lord.  .  .  allowed  us  to  communicate  of  those  di- 
vine Mysteries,  and  of  that  holy  light,  to  those  who 
are  able  to  receive  them.  He  did  not  certainly  dis- 


The  Christian  Mysteries  97 

close  to  the  many  what  did  not  belong  to  the  many; 
but  to  the  few  to  whom  he  knew  that  they  belonged 
who  were  capable  of  receiving  and  being  moulded  ac- 
cording to  them.  But  secret  things  are  entrusted  to 
speech,  not  to  writing,  as  in  the  case  with  God.  And 
if  one  say  that  it  is  written,  'there  is  nothing  secret 
which  shall  not  be  revealed,  nor  hidden  which  shall 
not  be  disclosed,'  let  him  also  hear  from  us,  that  to  him 
who  hears  secretly,  even  what  is  secret  shall  be  mani- 
fested. This  is  what  was  predicted  by  this  oracle.  And 
to  him  who  is  able  secretly  to  observe  what  is  delivered 
to  him,  that  which  is  veiled  shall  be  disclosed  as  truth ; 
and  what  is  hidden  to  the  many,  shall  appear  manifest 
to  the  few.  For  why  do  not  all  know  the  truth?  Why 
is  not  righteousness  loved,  if  righteousness  belongs  to 
all?  But  the  Mysteries  are  delivered  mystically,  that 
what  is  spoken  may  be  in  the  mouth  of  the  speaker; 
rather  not  in  his  voice,  but  in  his  understanding.  .  .  . 
The  writing  of  this  memoranda  of  mine,  I  well  know, 
is  weak  when  compared  with  that  spirit,  full  of  grace, 
which  I  was  privileged  to  hear.  But  it  will  be  an 
image  to  recall  the  archetype  to  him  who  was  struck 
with  the  thyrsus  [a  wand  borne  by  Initiates  with 
which  candidates  were  touched  during  the  ceremony 
of  Initiation].  .  .  We  profess  not  to  'explain  se- 
cret things  sufficiently — far  from  it — but  only  to  re- 
call them  to  memory,  whether  we  have  forgor  aught, 
or  whether  for  the  purpose  of  not  forgetting. 
Some  things  I  purposely  omit,  in  the  exercise  of  a 
wise  selection,  afraid  to  write  what  I  guarded  against 
speaking;  not  grudging — for  that  were  wrong — but 
fearing  for  my  readers,  lest  they  should  stumble  by 
taking  them  in  a  wrong  sense;  and,  as  the  proverb 


98  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

says,  we  should  be  found  'reaching  a  sword  to  a  child.' 
.  .  .  some  things  my  treatise  will  hint ;  on  some  it 
will  linger ;  some  it  will  merely  mention.  It  will  try  to 
speak  imperceptibly,  to  exhibit  secretly,  and  to  demon- 
strate silently."  (The  Stromata,  Book  I,  Ch.  I.) 

Again  in  speaking  of  "The  Mysteries  of  the  faith 
not  to  be  divulged  to  all,"  he  says,  "But  since  this 
tradition  is  not  published  alone  for  him  who  per- 
ceives the  magnificence  of  the  word;  it  is  requisite, 
therefore,  to  hide  in  a  mystery  the  wisdom  spoken, 
which  the  Son  of  God  taught.  Now,  therefore,  Isaiah 
the  prophet  has  his  tongue  purified  by  fire,  so  that  he 
may  be  able  to  tell  the  vision.  And  we  must  purify 
not  the  tongue  alone,  but  also  the  ears,  if  we  attempt 
to  be  partakers  of  the  truth.  Such  were  the  impedi- 
ments in  the  way  of  my  writing.  And  even  now  I 
fear,  as  it  is  said,  'to  cast  the  pearls  before  swine,  lest 
they  tread  them  under  foot,  and  turn  and  rend  us.' 
For  it  is  difficult  to  exhibit  the  really  pure  and  trans- 
parent words  respecting  the  true  light,  to  swinish  and 
untrained  hearers,  for  scarcely  would  anything  which 
they  could  hear  be  more  ludicrous  than  these  to  the 
multitude;  nor  any  subjects,  on  the  other  hand,  more 
admirable  or  more  inspiring  to  those  of  noble  nature. 
'But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God;  for  they  are  foolishness  to  him.'  But 
the  wise  do  not  utter  with  their  mouth  what  they  rea- 
son in  council.  'But  what  ye  hear  in  the  car,'  says 
the  Lord,  'proclaim  upon  the  houses'  [in  the  assembly 
of  the  Initiates,  not  to  the  men  in  the  street]  ;  bid- 
ding them  receive  the  secret  traditions  of  the  true 
knowledge,  and  expound  them  aloft  and  conspicu- 
ously; and  as  we  have  heard  in  the  ear,  so  to  de- 


The  Christian  Mysteries  99 

liver  them  to  whom  it  is  requisite;  but  not  en- 
joining us  to  communicate  to  all  without  distinction, 
what  is  said  to  them  in  parables."  (The  Stromata, 
Book  I,  Ch.  12.) 

Again,  he  says,  "He  who  is  still  blind  and  dumb, 
not  having  understanding,  or  the  undazzled  and  keen 
vision  of  the  contemplative  soul,  which  the  Savior  con- 
fers, like  the  uninitiated  at  the  mysteries,  or  the  un- 
musical at  dances,  not  being  yet  pure  and  worthy  of 
the  pure  truth  but  still  discordant  and  disordered  and 
material,  must  stand  outside  of  the  divine  choir. 
'For  we  compare  spiritual  things  with  spiritual.' 
Wherefore,  in  accordance  with  the  method  of  con- 
cealment, the  truly  sacred  Word,  truly  divine  and 
most  necessary  for  us,  deposited  in  the  shrine  of  truth, 
was  by  the  Egyptians  indicated  by  what  were  called 
among  them  Adyta,  and  by  the  Hebrews  by  the  Veil. 
Only  the  consecrated  .  .  .  were  allowed  access  to 
them.  For  Plato  also  thought  it  not  lawful  for  the  im- 
pure to  touch  the  pure.'  Thence  the  prophecies  and 
oracles  are  spoken  in  enigmas,  and  the  mysteries  are 
not  exhibited  incontinently  to  all  and  sundry,  but  only 
after  certain  purifications  and  previous  instructions." 
(The  Stromata,  Book  V,  Ch.  IV.) 

Clement  then  takes  up  the  symbolic  and  allegorical 
method  of  writing  employed  by  the  philosophers,  and 
quotes  many  passages  from  the  Scriptures  to  show 
that  Jesus  and  the  Apostles  employed  the  same  meth- 
od. "The  apostle  in  contradistinction  to  gnostic  per- 
fection," he  says,  "calls  the  common  faith  the  founda- 
tion and  sometimes  milk."  He  speaks  of  the  build- 
ing as  the  "gnostic  superstructure"  or  "gnostic  edi- 


100  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

fice"  and  says,  "it  was  impossible  that  gifts  of  this  sort 
could  be  written  without  disguise."  "But,"  he  con- 
tinues, "the  Gnostic  apprehends.  Now,  then,  it  is 
not  wished  that  all  things  should  be  exposed  indis- 
criminately to  all  and  sundry,  or  the  benefits  of  wis- 
dom communicated  to  those  who  have  not  even  in  a 
dream  been  purified  in  soul  (for  it  is  not  allowed  to 
hand  to  every  chance  tromer  what  has  been  procured 
with  such  laborious  efforts) ;  nor  are  the  mysteries  of 
the  word  to  be  expounded  to  the  profane."  (Stro- 
mata,  Booh  V,  Ch.  IX.) 

In  the  next  chapter  he  says  distinctly  that  "there  is 
an  instruction  of  the  perfect.  .  .  to  whom  God 
wished  to  make  known  what  is  the  riches  of  the  glory 
of  this  mystery  among  the  nations.  So  that  on  the 
one  hand,  then,  are  the  mysteries  which  were  hid  till 
the  time  of  the  apostles,  and  were  delivered  by  them 
as  they  received  from  the  Lord  and  concealed  in  the 
Old  Testament,  were  manifested  to  the  saints.  And, 
on  the  other  hand,  there  is  'the  riches  of  the  glory  of 
the  mystery  in  the  Gentiles,'  which  is  faith  and  hope 
in  Christ;  which  in  another  place  he  has  called 
the  'foundation.'  "  He  says  that  the  "knowledge  does 
not  appertain  to  all"  and  quotes  Paul  to  this  effect  (Col. 
11,  2,  3).  "Blessed  be  our  Lord,  Brethren,"  he  says, 
"who  has  put  into  our  hearts  wisdom  and  the  under- 
standing of  His  secrets.  .  .  .  It  is  but  for  few  to 
comprehend  these  things.  .  .  Instruction,  which 
reveals  hidden  things,  is  called  illumination,  as  it  is 
the  teacher  only  who  uncovers  the  lid  of  the  ark. 
.  .  'For  I  know,'  says  the  Apostle,  'that  when  I 
come  to  you,  I  shall  come  in  the  fullness  of  the  bless- 
ing of  Christ.'  "  He  then  quotes  Paul  concerning  the 


The  Christian  Mysteries  101 

fullness  of  the  blessing  of  Christ  "designating  the 
spiritual  gift,  and  the  gnostic  communication,  which 
being  present  he  desires  to  impart  to  them  present  as 
'the  fullness  of  Christ,  according  to  the  revelation  of 
the  mystery  sealed  in  the  ages  of  eternity,  but  now 
manifested  by  the  prophetic  Scriptures,  according  to 
the  command  of  the  eternal  God.'  .  .  But  only  to 
a  few  of  them  is  shown  what  those  things  are  which 
are  contained  in  the  mystery.  Rightly,  then,  Plato, 
in  the  epistles,  treating  of  God,  says,  'We  must  speak 
in  enigmas;  that  should  the  tablet  come,  by  any  mis- 
chance on  its  leaves,  either  by  sea  or  land,  he  who 
reads  may  remain  ignorant.'  .  .  Akin  to  this  is 
what  the  holy  apostle  Paul  says,  preserving  the  pro- 
phetic and  truly  ancient  secret  from  which  the  teach- 
ings that  were  good  were  derived  by  the  Greeks, 
'Howbeit  we  speak  wisdom  among  them  who  are  per- 
fect.' "  (Stromata,  Book  V,  Ch.  X.) 

"Wisdom,"  he  declares,  "to  be  certain  knowledge, 
being  a  sure  and  irrefragable  apprehension  of  things 
divine  and  human,  comprehending  the  present,  past, 
and  future.  .  .  and  it  is  irrefragable  by  reason, 
inasmuch  as  it  has  been  communicated.  .  .  And 
the  gnosis  itself  is  that  which  has  descended  by  trans- 
mission to  a  few,  having  been  imparted  unwritten  by 
the  apostles."  (Stromata,  Book  VI,  Ch.  VII.) 

These  quotations  might  easily  be  extended,  but  a 
sufficient  number  has  been  given  to  show  that  Clement 
knew  of  a  secret  teaching  and  was  writing  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who,  like  himself,  were  Initiates  in 
the  Christian  Mysteries.  Clement  quotes  continually 
from  the  Scriptures  to  illustrate  the  mystic  teaching, 


102  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

thus  showing  that  he  recognized  the  passages  to  which 
we  referred  earlier  as  evidencing  the  existence  of  a 
hidden,  esoteric,  teaching.  The  Gnostic  'was  one  who 
knew,  an  Initiate  of  the  Mysteries. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  Origen,  the  noted  pupil  of  Cle- 
ment, and  beyond  doubt  the  greatest  scholar  in  the 
early  church.  In  his  famous  controversy  with  Celsus 
many  references  were  made  to  the  secret  teachings  of 
the  church.  Celsus  charges  Christianity  with  being  a 
secret  system.  Origen  replying,  that  while  certain 
things  were  secret,  others  were  public,  says,  "But  that 
there  should  be  certain  doctrines,  not  made  known  to 
the  multitude,  which  are  (revealed)  after  the  exoteric 
ones  have  been  taught,  is  not  a  peculiarity  ot  Chris- 
tianity alone,  but  also  of  philosophic  systems,  in 
which  certain  truths  are  exoteric  and  others  esoteric. 
Some  of  the  hearers  of  Pythagoras  were  content  with 
his  ipse  dixit;  while  others  were  taught  in  secret 
those  doctrines  which  were  not  deemed  fit  to  be  com- 
municated to  profane  and  insufficiently  prepared  ears. 
Moreover,  all  the  Mysteries  that  are  celebrated  every- 
where throughout  Greece  and  barbarous  countries,  al- 
though held  in  secret,  have  no  discredit  thrown  upon 
them,  so  that  it  is  in  vain  that  he  endeavors  to  calum- 
niate the  secret  doctrine  of  Christianity,  seeing  he  does 
not  correctly  understand  its  nature."  (Origen  Against 
Celsus,  Book  I,  Ch.  VII.} 

Again  Origen  says,  "I  have  not  yet  spoken  of  the 
observance  of  all  that  is  written  in  the  Gospels,  each 
one  of  which  contains  much  doctrine  difficult  to  be 
understood,  not  merely  by  the  multitude,  but  even  by 
certain  of  the  more  intelligent,  including  a  very  pro- 
found explanation  of  the  parables  which  Jesus  deliv- 


The  Christian  Mysteries  103 

ered  to  'those  without,'  while  reserving  the  exhibition 
of  their  full  meaning  for  those  who  had  passed  be- 
yond the  stage  of  exoteric  teaching,  and  who  came  to 
Him  privately  in  the  house.  .  .  what  we  have  said 
is  sufficient  by  way  of  answer  to  the  unphilosophic 
sneers  of  Celsus,  in  comparing  the  inner  mysteries  of 
the  church  of  God  to  the  cats  and  apes,  and  croco- 
diles, and  goats,  and  dogs  of  Egypt."  (Origen  Against 
Celsus,  Book  III,  Ch.  XXL} 

A  little  further  on  in  the  same  Book  he  again  says, 
"And  if  you  come  to  the  books  written  after  the  time 
of  Jesus,  you  will  find  that  those  multitudes  of  be- 
lievers who  hear  the  parables  are,  as  it  were,  'without' 
and  worthy  only  of  exoteric  doctrines,  while  the  dis- 
ciples learn  in  private  the  explanation  of  the  parables." 
(Origen  Against  Celsus,  Book  III,  Ch.  LVI.) 

Celsus  criticised  the  Christians  for  inviting  sinners 
into  the  Church.  He  says  that  in  other  Mysteries 
he  only  is  invited  who  has  "clean  hands  and  a  pru- 
dent tongue;  he  only  who  is  pure  from  all  pollution 
and  whose  soul  is  conscious  of  no  evil  and  who  has 
lived  well  and  justly."  Origen  replies  that,  "It  is  not 
the  same  to  invite  those  who  are  sick  in  soul  .to  be 
cured,  and  those  who  are  in  health  to  the  knowledge 
and  study  of  divine  things.  We,  however,  keeping 
both  these  things  in  view,  at  first  invite  all  men  to  be 
healed,  and  exhort  those  who  are  sinners  to  come  to 
the  consideration  of  the  doctrines  which  teach  men 
not  to  sin,  and  those  who  are  devoid  of  understanding 
to  those  which  beget  wisdom,  and  those  who  are  chil- 
dren to  rise  in  their  thoughts  to  manhood,  and  those 
who  are  simply  unfortunate  to  good  fortune,  or — 
which  is  the  more  appropriate  term  to  use— to  blessed- 


104  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

ness.  And  when  those  who  have  been  turned  toward 
virtue  have  made  progress,  and  have  shown  that  they 
have  been  purified  by  the  word,  and  have  led  as  far 
as  they  can  a  better  life,  then  and  not  before  do  we 
invite  them  to  participation  in  our  mysteries.  'For 
we  speak  wisdom  among  them  that  are  perfect.' " 
(Origen  Against  Celsus,  Book  III,  Ch.  LIX.) 

Origen  then  explains  that  in  the  Christian  Mys- 
teries as  in  all  others  those  are  received  who  have 
"clean  hands,"  who  are  "athletes  in  piety  and  every 
virtue."  "Whoever  is  pure  not  only  from  all  defile- 
ment," he  says,  "but  from  what  are  regarded  as  lesser 
transgressions,  let  him  be  boldly  initiated  in  the  mys- 
teries of  Jesus,  which  properly  are  made  known  only 
to  the  holy  and  the  pure.  .  .  He  who  acts  as  an 
initiator,  according  to  the  precepts  of  Jesus,  will  say 
to  those  who  have  been  purified  in  heart,  'He  whose 
soul  has,  for  a  long  time,  been  conscious  of  no  evil, 
and  especially  since  he  yielded  himself  to  the  healing 
of  the  word,  let  such  a  one  hear  the.  doctrines  which 
were  spoken  in  private  by  Jesus  to  His  genuine  dis- 
ciples.' Therefore  in  the  comparison  which  he  insti- 
tutes between  the  procedure  of  the  initiators  into  the 
Grecian  mysteries,  and  the  teachers  of  the  doctrine 
of  Jesus,  he  does  not  know  the  difference  between  in- 
viting the  wicked  to  be  healed,  and  initiating  those  al- 
ready purified  into  the  sacred  mysteries !  Not  to  par- 
ticipation in  mysteries,  then,  and  to  fellowship  in  the 
wisdom  hidden  in  a  mystery,  which  God  ordained  before 
the  world  to  the  glory  of  His  saints,  do  we  invite  the 
wicked  man,  and  the  thief.  .  .  but  such  as  these  we  in- 
vite to  be  healed.  .  .  Others,  again,  which  to  the 
pure  in  soul  and  body  exhibit  'the  revelation  of  the 


The  Christian  Mysteries  105 

mystery,  which  was  kept  secret  since  the  world  began, 
but  now  is  made  manifest  by  the  Scriptures  of  the 
prophets,'  and  'by  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ/  which  'appearing'  is  manifested  to  each  one 
of  those  who  are  perfect,  and  which  enlightens  the 
reason  in  the  true  knowledge  of  things.  .  .  God 
the  Word  was  sent,  indeed,  as  a  physician  to  sinners, 
and  also  as  a  teacher  of  divine  mysteries  to  those  who 
are  already  pure  and  who  sin  no  more."  (Origen 
Against  Celsus,  Book  III,  Ch.  LX,  LXI,  LXII.) 

Archilaus,  Bishop  of  Cesarea  in  Mesopotamia,  says, 
"The  Lord  spake  in  parables  to  those  who  were  in- 
capable of  hearing,  but  to  His  disciples  He  explained 
these  parables  in  private.  For  the  illumination  of  the 
glory  is  for  those  who  have  been  enlightened,  while 
the  blinding  is  for  them  who  believe  not.  These  mys- 
teries, which  the  church  now  declares  to  you  who  are 
transferred  from  the  lists  of  the  catechumens,  it  is  not 
her  custom'  to  declare  to  the  Gentiles.  For  we  do  not 
declare  the  mysteries  touching  the  Father,  and  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  to  a  Gentile ;  neither  do  we 
speak  of  the  mysteries  plainly  in  presence  of  the  cate- 
chumens ;  but  many  a  time  we  express  ourselves  in  an 
occult  manner,  so  that  the  faithful  who  have  intelli- 
gence may  apprehend  the  truths  referred  to,  while 
those  who  have  not  that  intelligence  may  receive  no 
hurt."  (Anti  Nicene  Fathers,  Vol.  VI,  p.  235.) 

Quotations  of  this  import  could  be  extended,  if 
necessary,  but  it  is  now  beyond  question  that  there 
existed  in  the  early  church  a  definite  institution  called 
the  "Sacred  Mysteries"  or  the  "Mysteries  of  Jesus," 
wherein  was  taught  a  higher  wisdom.  The  church 
to-day  thinks  it  has  accomplished  its  mission  by  pro- 


106  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

ducing  the  saint,  and  points  to  the  good  man  as  the 
crowning  glory.  Whereas  in  the  early  days  of  the 
church  the  attainment  of  purity  was  not  the  goal,  but 
merely  the  beginning.  There  were  three  stages  or 
degrees  through  which  men  passed — Purification,  Il- 
lumination, and  Perfection.  Purification  led  to  saint- 
ship  ;  Illumination  gave  interior  knowledge,  the 
Gnosis  taught  in  the  Mysteries;  Perfection  was  the 
attainment  of  unity  with  the  Divine.  The  early 
church  went  on  from  the  point  where  the  modern 
church  leaves  off,  and  taking  the  saint  led  him  to  the 
Beatific  Vision. 

During  these  early  centuries  there  was  a  struggle 
between  the  two  elements  in  Christianity — the  few 
who  possessed  the  inner  teaching,  and  the  mass  of 
common  believers.  The  exoteric  element  finally 
gained  supremacy,  and  the  Mystics  were  denounced 
as  heretics.  The  Mysteries,  as  an  organized  institu- 
tion, ceased  temporarily  for  lack  of  suitable  material. 
The  Sublime  Secret,  however,  was  not  lost,  for  the 
light  continued  to  burn  through  all  the  ages. 

From  time  to  time  efforts  were  made  to  revive  the 
institution  to  its  former  glory,  but  the  conditions  of 
the  age  were  too  gross  and  superstitious.  "Two 
streams  may  nevertheless  be  tracked  through  Christen- 
dom, streams  which  had  as  their  source  the  vanished 
Mysteries.  One  was  the  stream  of  mystic  learning, 
flowing  from  the  Wisdom,  the  Gnosis,  imparted  in  the 
Mysteries  [both  Pagan  and  Christian]  ;  the  other  was 
the  stream  of  mystic  contemplation,  equally  part  of 
the  Gnosis,  leading  to  the  ecstasy,  to  spiritual  vision. 
This  latter,  however,  diverted  from  knowledge,  rarely 


The  Christian  Mysteries  107 

attained   the  true   ecstacies."     (Esoteric   Christianity, 
p.  107.) 

These  two  streams  can  be  traced  through  the  Gnos- 
tic Schools  of  Syria  and  Egypt,  the  Manichaeans, 
Paulicians,  Albigenses,  Cathari,  Templars,  The 
Knights  of  Malta,  Troubadours,  Lollards,  Rosicru- 
cians,  Alchemists,  Hermetic  Masters,  and  many  other 
mystic  orders. 

Thus  the  Secret  Teaching  has  been  passed  along 
down  the  ages.  Scholars,  Saints  and  Martyrs  have 
everywhere  sought  the  hidden  truth,  and  the  various 
occult  brotherhoods,  mystical  associations,  and  many 
so-called  heretical  sects,  have  been  links  in  the  chain 
of  that  Wisdom  Religion,  which  is  the  source  of  all 
religious  schools  and  philosophies.  The  great  Spirit- 
ual Hierarchy,  the  guardian  of  the  mystic  tradition 
(which  constitutes  the  science  of  the  soul),  has  always 
been  and  always  will  be  as  ready  to  give,  as  man  in 
his  evolutionary  condition  is  ready  to  receive,  instruc- 
tion in  Divine  Wisdom. 

With  the  growth  of  the  race  old  forms  perished, 
and  those  who  identified  the  spirit  with  the  form 
thought  all  was  destroyed.  But  as  the  form  perished 
the  conscious  life  sought  new  embodiment,  and  thus 
have  the  guardians  of  truth  passed  along  the  higher 
knowledge  to  those  who  were  ready  to  receive  it.  Who 
then  can  doubt  a  definite  design  in  the  preservation 
of  the  Divine  Truth  through  all  the  ages? 

We  shall  now  turn  to  Freemasonry  and  show  that 
this  institution  is  a  vehicle  of  the  same  occult  knowl- 
edge ;  that  the  Ancient  Wisdom  is  still  embodied  in  its 
symbolism  and  rites  and  is  obtainable  as  it  always  has 


108  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

been,  by  those  who  possess  the  key.  In  showing  this 
connection  and  possession  we  will  consider  more  fully 
the  meaning  of  Initiation  in  the  Pagan  and  Christian 
Mysteries,  to  which  I  invite  your  attention  in  the  fol- 
lowing lecture. 


LECTURE  VI. 
THE  MEANING  OF  TRUE  INITIATION. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  the  biographies  of  all 
the  great  World-Saviors  closely  resemble  each  other. 
All  are  represented  as  divinely  begotten,  and  born 
at  the  same  time  of  the  year;  all  are  threatened  with 
death  in  infancy;  all  are  tempted,  persecuted,  and 
finally  slain ;  all  descend  into  hell  and  after  three  days 
rise  from  the  dead ;  and  at  last  all  ascend  into  heaven 
and  become  glorified  Gods. 

What  is  the  explanation  of  this  wonderful  simi- 
larity in  the  lives  of  Jesus,  Apollonius,  Mithra,  Bud- 
dha, Krishna,  Zoroaster,  etc.?  The  solution  of  this 
remarkable  identity  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  all 
these  Saviors  were  Initiates  into  the  Mysteries  of  An- 
tiquity. The  various  narratives  do  not  describe  the 
physcal  life  of  the  heroes,  but  the  inner  mystic  life, 
being  but  a  materialization  of  the  mystic  life  of  the 
Initiate.  The  physical  plane  biographies  might  great- 
ly vary,  but  their  lives  as  Initiates  are  ever  the  same. 

In  our  study  of  the  meaning  of  true  Initiation  we 
shall  see  the  origin  of  these  stories.  I  will  commence 
at  the  beginning  and  trace  the  various  stages  of 
progress. 

In  the  first  place,  a  man  to  be  recognized  as  a 
candidate,  must  be  pure  and  holy,  and  possess  a  well- 
developed  and  well-trained  mind.  Having  attained 


110  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

the  exoteric  "good  life,"  he  enters  on  the  prepara- 
tion for  Initiation.  Certain  conditions  have  now  to 
be  fulfilled  and  certain  attributes  acquired.  The  as- 
pirant for  Initiation  must  be  "worthy  and  well  quali- 
fied, duly  and  truly  prepared."  During  this  period 
the  candidate  is  said  to  be  treading  the  Probationary 
Path,  the  Path  which  leads  up  to  the  "Strait  Gate," 
beyond  which  is  the  "Narrow  Way,"  or  the  "Path  of 
Holiness,"  the  "Way  of  the  Cross,"  which  leadeth 
unto  life. 

Let   me   briefly   sum  up   the   attributes   to   be   ac- 
quired : 

1.  Discrimination.     This  means  that  the  aspirant 
becomes  able  to  distinguish  between  the  Eternal  and 
the  Temporal,  the  Real  and  the  Unreal,  so  that  what 
is  unreal  to.  the  world  becomes  real  to  him.    He  must 
set  his  affections  on  things  above,  loosen  the  ties  on 
worldly  objects,  and  fix  his  aspirations  on  things  per- 
taining to  the   unseen.     This  has   been  called   "al- 
legiance to  the  Higher  Self." 

2.  Devotion  to  Right.     The  aspirant  here  learns 
to  do  what  is  right  because  it  is  right,  without  regard 
to  his  own  gain  or  loss.    This  is  sometimes  called  in- 
difference to  personal  reward  as  the   fruit  of  good 
actions.       This  indifference  is  the  natural  result  of 
the  previous  step,  men  cease  to  crave  for  earthly  re- 
wards  when    they   realize   their"  impermanent   char- 
acter. 

3.  The  six  qualifications  (a)  Control  of  Thoughts — 
purity  and  calmness  which   result    from   control   of 
the  mind,     (b)  Control  of  Actions — mastery  of  one's 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation 


actions  and  words.  (c)  Tolerance  —  freedom  from 
bigotry,  from  an  exaggerated  attachment  to  any  doc- 
trinal belief,  leading  to  a  wide  impartiality,  (d)  For- 
bearance —  freedom  from  resentment  in  respect  to 
real  or  fancied  wrongs,  (e)  Steadfastness  —  incapa- 
bility of  being  turned  aside  from  one's  purpose,  (f) 
Faith  —  confidence  in  the  power  of  the  Master  to  teach 
the  truth,  and  of  one's  self  to  grasp  and  wield  it. 

4.  Direct  Order  or  Succession  —  a  clearly  defined 
desire    for    spiritual   existence,   and   union   with    the 
higher  ideals. 

5.  Readiness  for  Initiation  —  the  result  of  the  pre- 
vious acquirements. 

The  candidate  is  not  expected  to  fully  develop  these 
attributes,  he  must,  however,  have  made  progress 
in  them  before  he  is  ready  for  the  first  step  on  the 
Path  Proper. 

When  the  time  comes  that  he  is  regarded  fit  for 
Initiation,  he  is  conducted  by  the  Master,  who  has 
been  watching  over  his  earlier  progress,  to  the  thresh- 
old where  the  "Guardians  of  the  Mysteries"  open 
for  him  the  "Strait  Gate." 

The  Path  Proper  is  divided  into  four  stages,  or  five 
stages  with  the  culmination.  In  the  first  four  stages 
—  the  period  between  the  good  man  and  the  triumphant 
Master  —  the  neophyte  is  to  cast  off  the  ten  fetters  that 
bind  him  to  the  circle  of  rebirth,  and  which  keep  him 
from  realizing  Nirvana  —  the  highest  state  of  spiritual 
consciousness.  No  partial  success  will  here  suffice,  he 
must  be  entirely  free  before  he  can  pass  from  one  stage 
to  the  next.  When  these  fetters  are  cast  off  the  ego  is 
ready  for  the  fifth  stage  —  full  adeptship.  He  becomes 


112  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

an  "Asekha"  Adept— a  Christ  Triumphant.  The  first 
step  in  the  Hindu  system  is  called  Sotapatti  or  Sohan. 
One  who  attains  this  level  is  called  the  Sotapanna  or 
Sowani — he  who  has  entered  the  stream,  one  who  has 
begun  the  higher  human  evolution.  This  evolution  is 
that  of  the  Divine  Child,  and  is  called  in  different  sys- 
tems by  different  names — Christ,  Horus,  Buddha,  etc. 

It  was  at  this  first  great  Initiation  that  the  Divine 
Child  was  born  in  man.  This  was  spoken  of  as  the 
"New"  or  ''Second  Birth" — a  mystic  term  often  em- 
ployed to  denote  the  rites  of  Initiation.  In  India, 
even  to-day,  the  higher  castes  are  called  the  "twice 
born/'  and  the  ceremony  that  -makes  them  such  is 
called  Initiation.  The  rite  of  baptism  is  connected 
with  the  first  Initiation.  It  is  a  symbol  of  purifica- 
tion, and  signifies  that  the  candidate  has  attained 
the  purity  of  character  necessary  for  acceptance. 
"In  all  these  Mysteries,"  says  Dr.  Mackey,  "the 
first  step  taken  by  the  candidate  was  a  lustration  or 
purification.  The  aspirant  was  not  permitted  to 
enter  the  sacred  vestibule,  or  take  any  part  in  the 
secret  formula  of  Initiation,  until,  by  water  or  by 
fire,  he  was  emblematically  purified  from  the  cor- 
ruptions of  the  world  which  he  was  about  to  leave 
behind."  (Symbolism  of  Freemasonry,  Mackey,  p. 
93.)  The  purification  of  the  body  was  symbolic  of 
a  purification  of  the  heart. 

Frederic  Portal,  in  speaking  of  the  Egyptian  Mys- 
teries, says,  "In  Egyptian  Cosmogony.  .  .  water  was 
the  mother  of  the  world,  the  matrix  of  all  created  be- 
ings. Man  was  considered  as  an  image  of  the  world, 
the  Initiate  was  to  be  born  again  to  a  new  life  and 
the  baptism  thenceforward  symbolized  the  primeval 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  113 

waters;  it  was  on  this  account  that  the  Initiate  was 
called  "Moses,"  a  word  signifying  in  Egyptian,  accord- 
ing to  Josephus,  saved  from  the  water,  or  by  the 
water.  .  .  water  was  a  symbol  of  purity  and  desig- 
nated the  birth  of  the  pure  or  Initiated."  (A  Compari- 
son of  Egyptian  Symbols  with  those  of  the  Hebrews, 
p.  81.)  Again,  he  says,  speaking  of  the  method  of 
Egyptian  baptism,  "Horus  and  Thoth-Lunus  pour 
water  on  the  head  of  the  candidate,  who  is  trans- 
formed to  divine  life  and  to  purity."  The  le- 
gend accompanying  this  scene  he  translates  thus, 
"Horus,  son  of  Isis,  baptises  with  water  and 
fire."  This  is  repeated  three  times.  The  name 
given  to  the  baptized  or  anointed,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  Moses,  signifying  regenerated,  or  be- 
gotten again.  Remember  the  lawgiver  of  the  Jews 
was  called  by  the  Egyptians  Moses — one  saved  by 
water,  or,  in  other  words,  one  Initiated.  In  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  we  are  told  that  Moses  was  learned 
in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians;  if  so,  he  must 
have  been  an  Initiate.  The  great  Mystery  of  Egypt 
was  this  second  birth,  the  Birth  of  Horus.  Says  W. 
Marsham  Adams,  "Throughout  the  sacred  writings 
of  Egypt,  there  is  no  doctrine  of  which  more  frequent 
mention  is  made  than  that  of  a  divine  birth."  (The 
Egyptian  Doctrine  of  Light,  Adams,  p.  89.) 

The  candidate  was  initiated  from  the  Sacred  Roll, 
called  the  "Book  of  the  Greatest  Mysteries,"  and 
after  passing  the  Passage  of  the  Sun,  the  crown  of 
Illumination  was  placed  upon  his  head.  And  now 
the  new  twice-born,  "clothed  in  power  and  crowned 
with  light,  traverses  the  abodes  or  scenes  of  his  form- 
er weakness,  there  to  discern,  by  his  own  enlightened 


114  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

perception,  how  it  is  'Osiris  who  satisfies  the  balance 
of  Him  who  rules  the  Heavens;  to  exert  in  Its  sup- 
ernal freedom  his  creative  will,  now  the  Lord,  not 
the  slave  of  the  senses;  and  to  rejoice  in  the  just  suf- 
fering which  wrought  his  Illumination  and  Mastery." 
(Ibid,  p.  185.) 

Hermes  in  the  "Secret  Sermon  on  the  Mountain," 
discourses  on  the  secret  of  the  New  Birth.  This 
might  well  be  called  the  "Initiation  of  Tat."  The 
sermon  is  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue  between  Hermes 
the  Master  and  Tat  the  pupil.  Tat  says,  "In  the 
General  Sermons,  father  [a  technical  name  of  the 
Master  or  Initiator],  thou  didst  speak  in  riddles  most 
unclear,  conversing  on  Divinity ;  and  when  thou  saidst 
no  man  could  e'er  be  saved  before  Rebirth,  thy  mean- 
ing thou  didst  hide.  Further,  when  I  became  thy 
Suppliant,  in  Wending  up  the  Mount,  after  thou 
hadst  conversed  with  me,  and  when  I  longed  to  learn 
the  Sermon  (Logos)  on  Rebirth,  (for  this  beyond  all 
other  things  is  just  the  thing  I  know  not),  thou  saidst, 
that  thou  wouldst  give  it  me — 'when  thou  shalt  have 
become  a  stranger  to  the  world.'  Wherefore  I  got  me 
ready  and  made  the  thought  in  me  a  stranger  to  the 
world-illusion." 

G.  R.  S.  Mead,  in  his  "Thrice  Greatest  Hermes," 
in  commenting  upon  this  discourse,  says,  "The  time 
has  come  for  Tat  to  receive,  through  his  Master, 
the  touch  of  the  true  Mind  in  Consciousness,  the  Christ 
is  to  be  born  in  his  heart,  the  light  of  the  Pleroma  is 
to  shine  in  his  inmost  being.  It  is  to  be  a  New  Birth, 
a  Regeneration,  or  Rebirth,  in  the  sense  of  being  born 
from  Above."  (Thrice  Greatest  Hermes,  Mead,  Vol. 
U.  P-  2390 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  H5 

Tat  had  made  himself  ready  for  this  Rebirth  by 
passing  through  three  stages  of  probation.  He  had 
been  prepared  by  "Wending  up  the  Mount."  The 
phrase  "On  the  Mountain"  or  "Wending  up  the  Moun- 
tain" is  symbolical  of  the  grades  of  Initiation.  The 
term  is  of  frequent  occurence  in  the  Christian  Gno- 
stic and  Apochryphal  writings,  and  everywhere  sig- 
nifies the  "Mount  of  Initiation."  In  the  popular  be- 
liefs, the  mountain  is  called  the  "Mount  of  Galilee," 
on  which  all  the  rites  of  Initiation  were  performed. 
But  the  real  "Mount"  was  no  physical  elevation,  it 
was  the  "height  of  contemplation,  an  inner  state  of 
spiritual  consciousness."  Tat  had  been  wending  his 
way  up  this  "Mount"  and  was  now  ready  for  the 
New  Birth,  "The  crowning  mystery  of  the  Spiritual 
Way  for  all  the  mystic  schools  of  the  time." 

"The  secret  that  Tat  would  learn  is  the  Mystery  of 
the  birth  from  the  Virgin  Womb — the  Birth  of  Man, 
the  Great  Mystery  of  Regeneration."  (Ibid,  p.  240.) 
Tat  entreats  Hermes  to  explain  to  him  the  manner  of 
this  Rebirth.  But  Hermes,  cannot  tell  to  Tat  the 
secret  in  words.  It  must  be  self-perceived.  "This 
race  my  child,"  says  Hermes,  "was  never  taught." 
This  is  the  "Race"  referred  to  by  Philo  as  the  "Race 
of  Devotees  who  are  ever  taught  more  and  more  to 
see,  let  them  strive  for  the  Initiation  of  That-which-is ; 
let  them  transcend  the  sun  which  men  perceive  [and 
gaze  upon  the  Light  beyond,  the  True  Sun  or  Logos,] 
nor  ever  leave  this  rank  which  leads  to  Perfect  Bless- 
edness. Now  they  who  betake  themselves  to  the 
[Divine]  Service  [do  so],  not  because  of  any  custom 
or  on  someone's  advice  or  appeal,  but  carried  away 
with  Heavenly  Love,  like  those  Initiated  into  the 


116  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Bacchic  and  the  Corybantic  Mysteries;  they  are  afire 
with  God  until  they  behold  the  object  of  their  love." 
Again  Philo  says,  "Now  this  natural  class  of  men  [lit. 
race]  is  to  be  found  in  many  parts  of  the  inhabited 
world;  for  both  the  Grecian  and  non-Grecian  world 
must  needs  share  in  the  perfect  Good."  (Philo  on 
The  Contemplative  Life.)  This  "Race,"  then,  was 
the  Race  of  Initiates,  the  "Race  of  Elxai"  mentioned 
by  Epiphanius.  Those*  attaining  this  state  apprehend- 
ed the  mystery  of  Rebirth. 

Although  this  spiritual  state  could  not  be  taught  to 
the  neophyte  in  words,  still,  as  Mead  puts  it,  Hermes 
can  guide  Tat  toward  the  realization  of  the  Blessed 
Sight,  by  putting  himself  into  the  sublime  state  of 
consciousness,  that  Tat,  so  to  speak,  bathes,  or  is 
baptized  in  his  Master's  spiritual  presence — the  Cup 
of  the  Mind.  This  is  the  true  laying  on  of  hands. 
Hermes  describes  the  change  that  takes  place  in  him- 
self when  he  passes  into  the  high  spiritual  conscious- 
r  ness.  "Whene'er  I  see  within  myself  the  Simple  Vis- 
ion. .  .  I  have  passed  through  myself  into  a  Body 
that  can  never  die.  And  now  I  am  not  what  I  was 
before;  but  I  am  born  in  Mind."  The  Master  focus- 
ses  his  consciousness  in  the  higher  part  of  his  spirit- 
ual nature — transfers  it  to  a  spiritual  vehicle.  "The 
way  to  do  this  is  not  taught,  and  it  cannot  be  seen 
by  the  compound  element  by  means  of  which  thou 
seest,"  that  is,  it  cannot  be  understood  from  any  sen- 
sible experience.  No  physical  sight  can  penetrate 
this  Mystery.  "Thou  seest  me  with  eyes,  my  son," 
says  Hermes,  "but  what  I  am  thou  dost  not  under- 
stand." The  outer  physical  form  of  the  Master  was 
there,  but  his  soul  had  been  liberated  from  the  body. 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  117 

This  mystery  could  only  be  understood  by  one  who 
himself  had  reached  the  higher  state. 

Tat's  spiritual  senses  are  being  born  by  the  aid  of 
the  Master.  He  says,  "Into  fierce  frenzy  and  mind 
fury  hast  thou  plunged  me,  father,  for  now  no  longer 
do  I  see  myself."  He  is  losing  touch  with  the  physi- 
cal plane  consciousness,  but  that  is  not  enough. 
Hermes  says,  "I  would,  my  son,  that  thou  had'st  e'en 
passed  right  through  thyself,"  that  is,  passed  into  the 
higher  vehicle,  "the  body  that  can  never  die."  This 
is  the  mystery  that  Hermes  could  not  explain  in 
words.  (The  Secret  Sermon  on  the  Mountain.) 

Isis  is  not  permitted  to  declare  the  secret  of  Re- 
birth openly  to  Horus.  She  says,  "I  may  not  tell  the 
story  of  this  birth;  for  it  is  not  permitted  to  declare 
the  origin  of  thy  descent,  O  Horus,  son  of  mighty 
power,  lest  afterward  the  Way-of-Birth  of  the  immor- 
tal Gods  should  be  known  unto  men."  (Quoted  in 
Thrice  Greatest  Hermes,  Vol.  II,  p.  242.)  In  the 
Isis  mystery  tradition  we  find  that  it  was  a  part  of 
the  worl:  to  bestow  this  higher  consciousness.  Diod- 
orus  informs  us  that  it  was  Isis  who  "discovered  the 
Philtre  of  immortality,  by  means  of  which,  when 
her  son  Horus,  who  had  been  plotted  against  by  the 
Titans,  and  found  dead  beneath  the  waters,  not  only 
raised  him  to  life,  but  also  made  him  a  sharer  in 
immortality."  Initiation  bestowed  or  restored  to 
the  soul  the  consciousness  of  immortality.  This 
was  truly  a  new  birth,  an  inner  change,  a  "striking 
of  a  new  keynote."  He  who  is  reborn  into  the  Gno- 
sis,  passes  from  man  into  the  state  of  super-man. 
The  very  essence  of  Gnosis  is  the  fact  that  man  can 
transcend  his  present  limitations,  and  become  con- 


118  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

sciously  divine.  This  is  true  illumination.  Those 
who  attained  this  Hermes  or  Horus  state  were  to 
keep  silent  concerning  their  powers,  and  not  boast 
of  their  Gnosis. 

We  find  this  same  teaching  in  the  Christian  Mys- 
teries. Jesus  says,  "Except  a  man  be  born  again 
he  cannot  see  the  Kingdom  of  God."  (John,  in,  3.) 
Peter  says,  "Seeing  ye  have  purified  your  souls  in 
obeying  the  truth.  .  .  being  born  again  not  of  cor- 
ruptible seed  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the  word  of 
God  which  liveth  and  abideth  forever."  (/.  Peter  L 
22-23.) 

The  birth  is  spoken  of  as  that  of  "water  and  the 
spirit."  In  the  Mysteries  of  Jesus,  as  in  all  others, 
baptism  was  always  connected  with  the  first  Initiatory 
Rite.  Many  illustrations  of  this  pivot  doctrine  of 
the  early  church  might  be  cited  from  Gnostic  writings. 
The  over-writer  of  the  Naassene  Document  tells  us 
that  the  Lesser  Mysteries  pertain  to  fleshly  genera- 
tion, whereas  the  Greater,  deal  with  the  new  or  sec- 
ond birth,  with  regeneration  and  not  with  genesis. 
In  speaking  of  the  Mystery  of  Regeneration,  the 
writer  says,  "For  this  is  the  Gate  of  Heaven,  and 
this  is  the  House  of  God,  where  the  Good  God 
dwells  alone;  into  which  [house]  no  impure  [man] 
shall  come — no  psychic,  no  fleshly  [man] — but  it  is 
kept  under  watch  for  the  spiritual  alone — where, 
when  they  come,  they  must  cast  away  their  garments, 
and  all  become  bridegrooms,  obtaining  their  true  man- 
hood through  the  Virginal  Spirit.  For  this  is  the 
Virgin,  big  with  Child,  conceiving  and  bearing  a 
son — not  psychic,  not  fleshly,  but  a  blessed  Aeon  of 
Aeons,"  that  is,  an  immortal  God.  This  is  the  birth 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation 


of  the  Christ,  or  Horus  in  man,  the  Great  -Mystery 
that  awaits  us  when  we  have  made  ourselves  strangers 
to  the  world  illusion,  as  Hermes  puts  it,  or  as  Jesus 
says  in  one  of  his  new  found  sayings,  "Except  ye 
fast  to  the  world,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  find  the  King- 
dom of  God."  This  writing  is  important,  as  it  shows 
that  the  inner  teaching  of  Christianity  was  identical 
with  the  tenets  of  the  other  Mysteries  —  Eleusinian, 
Egyptian,  Mithraic,  Dionysian,  etc.  The  date  of  this 
Christian  over-writer  was  about  the  middle  of  the 
second  century. 

In  the  mystery  ritual  of  Initiation  in  the  "Acts 
of  John,"  we  read,  "Who  I  am,  thou  shalt  know  when 
I  depart  [that  is,  by  contrast].  What  I  am  seen  to 
be,  that  am  I  not  ;  but  what  I  am,  thou  shalt  see  when 
thou  comest."  In  other  words,  this  spiritual  state 
must  be  realized  to  be  known,  and  only  those  who 
had  attained  the  Christ  state  —  the  Perfect  Initiate  — 
could  know  it.  Remember  the  words  of  Hermes  al- 
ready cited,  "Thou  seest  me  with  eyes,  my  son;  but 
what  I  am  thou  dost  not  understand."  This  con- 
sciousness transcends  man's  normal  state. 

Although  the  new  birth  primarily  signfied  the  first 
great  Initiation,  when  the  white  robed  neophyte  en- 
tered the  "Communion  of  Saints,"  still,  the  mystic 
term  might  .well  indicate  the  other  stages  of  soul  de- 
velopment, for  it  signalized  the  entrance  to  a  new 
life.  The  Initiate  is  ushered  into  a  new  state  of  con- 
sciousness at  each  stage,  as  much  so  as  the  new  born 
infant  when  ushered  into  physical  existence.  It  is 
difficult  for  us  to  imagine  these  higher  states  of  con- 
sciousness, but  each  state  ushered  the  candidate  into 
a  new  realm,  where,  while  retaining  hold  on  the  physi- 


120  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

cal  plane,  he  had  to  adapt  himself  to  new  conditions. 
Each  rite  was  a  sign  and  symbol  of  spiritual  con- 
sciousness which  had  come  to  the  new  born  disciple. 
"The  Christ  principle,  the  intuitional  Wisdom,  is 
born  in  the  soul,  and  when  that  Buddhic  [spiritual] 
consciousness  is  awakened,  the  soul  becomes  again, 
as  it  were,  a  little  child,  born  into  that  higher  life  of 
the  Initiated,  which  is  in  truth  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven."  (Christian  Creed,  Leadbeater,  p.  76.)  The 
new  born  Son,  the  "little  child,"  a  technical  term  de- 
noting one  just  Initiated,  is  now  to  live  the  divine 
life  and  become  "like  unto  the  Father" — pass  from 
Sonship  to  Perfection. 

The  new  or  spiritual  birth,  then,  is  a  mystic  fact. 
The  materialization  of  this  inner  truth  into  the  dogma 
of  the  "Virgin  Birth"  must  have  been  a  comparatively 
late  development  in  the  evolution  of  popular  or  gen- 
eral Christianity.  The  dogma  is  not  to  be  found  in 
the  common  document,  and  the  earlier  traditions  all 
state  that  Joseph  was  the  natural  father  of  Jesus. 
Celsus  accused  the  Christians  of  changing  their  gospel 
story  many  times  in  order  to  better  answer  the  ob- 
jections of  opponents.  This  is  true  only  of  the  ex- 
oteric tradition. 

Now  let  us  consider  the  various  stages  in  the  evo- 
lution of  the  Christ  in  man.  To  understand  this 
higher  evolution,  which  constituted  the  work  of  the 
True  Mysteries,  we  must  understand  man's  constitu- 
tion. 

We  will  use1  here  the  Christian  terminology  because 
of  familiarity  with  the  terms,  but  the  facts  described 
are  the  same  in  all  systems. 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  121 

Christian  theology  usually  accepts  the  three-fold 
division — Spirit,  Soul  and  Body.  This  is  sound,  but 
in  order  to  understand  the  Mystery  of  the  life  of  the 
Divine  Child,  especially  his  crucifixion,  resurrection 
and  ascension,  we  shall  need  a  further  subdivision 
of  man's  constitution.  The  spirit  is  itself  a  trinity, 
containing  the  three  aspects  of  the  divine  life — In- 
telligence, Love  and  Will;  the  soul  is  twofold,  com- 
posed of  the  mind  and  emotional  nature;  the  body 
is  the  material  instrument  of  the  soul  and  spirit,  and  is 
also  dual,  being  composed  of  the  dense  physical  body 
and  its  etheric  double.  These  lower  portions  or  prin- 
ciples— the  dual  physical  body,  the  desire  or  emo- 
tional body,  and  the  mental  body — form  the  natural 
body  spoken  of  by  of  St.  Paul.  The  Aipostle  says, 
"There  is  a  natural  body  and  there  is  a  spiritual 
body."  The  spiritual  is  made  up  of  the  three  higher 
principles.  The  lowest  of  these  is  sometimes  called 
the  Causal  body,  the  second  division  the  Bliss  or 
Glorified  or  resurrected  body,  the  third  and  highest 
division,  the  Atmic  body. 

These  principles  or  bodies  are  correlated  with  the 
lower  five  of  the  seven  planes  of  our  universe.  The 
normal  evolution  of  mankind  takes  place  on  the  three 
lowest  planes;  the  Super-normal  evolution,  that  of 
the  Initiate,  proceeds  on  the  next  two  planes  which 
are  the  spiritual.  These  five  planes  constitute  the 
field  of  the  evolution  of  consciousness  until  the  "hu- 
man merges  into  the  divine." 

Bearing  these  divisions  of  man's  constitution  in 
mind  and  the  planes  to  which  they  are  correlated,  we 
are  ready  to  study  the  mystery  of  the  Christ  evolu- 
tion. This  evolution  is  set  forth  in  the  story  of  the 


122  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Mystic  Christ.  The  Mystic  Christ  is  one  aspect  of 
the  Christ  of  the  Mysteries.  The  Mystic  Christ  deals 
with  this  Christ  evolution,  which  is  the  development 
of  the  Love,  or  second  aspect,  of  the  unfolding  divine 
spirit  in  man,  called  the  Christ;  the  other  aspect, 
called  the  Mythic  Christ,  is  the  Logos,  the  second 
Aspect  or  Person  of  the  Trinity,  descending  into 
matter. 

The  development  of  the  first  division  of  the  spirit- 
ual body,  the  aspect  of  intelligence,  takes  place  in  the 
ordinary  life  of  the  world.  When  this  intellectual 
development  has  been  carried  to  a  high  point,  ac- 
companied by  moral  development,  then  the  man  is 
ready  for  the  evolution  of  the  second  aspect  of  the 
spirit,  the  second  division  of  the  spiritual  body,  that 
of  Love,  called  the  Christ. 

We  will  consider  first  this  aspect  of  the  Mystic 
Christ — the  evolution  of  the  Christ  of  the  human 
spirit.  This  is  the  "Christ  who  is  in  every  one  of 
us,  who  is  born  and  lives,  is  crucified,  rises  from  the 
dead,  and  ascends  into  heaven  in  every  suffering  and 
triumphant  Son  of  Man."  This  is  the  story  of  the 
mystic  life  of  every  Initiate. 

We  have  seen  that  at  the  first  great  Initiation  the 
Christ  is  born  in  the  disciple.  This  is  the  second 
birth  to  which  we  have  referred.  He  is  born  into 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  as  a  little  child — the  name 
given  to  a  new  Initiate.  Jesus  said  that  except  a 
man  becomes  as  a  little  child  he  cannot  enter  the 
Kingdom. 

Every  such  child  is  beset  by  perils  that  do  not 
befall  others.  The  dark  powers  seek  his  undoing, 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  123 

but  the  Christ  child  once  born  cannot  be  destroyed.  He 
grows  in  wisdom  and  spiritual  stature  until  the  time 
comes  for  the  second  great  Initiation,  symbolized  by 
the  baptism  "by  water  and  the  spirit,"  which  confers  on 
him  the  powers  necessary  for  the  Teacher.  He  then 
goes  forth  into  the  world  to  labor,  and  is  led  by  the 
Spirit  into  the  wildnerness,  and  is  there  exposed  to 
severe  temptations.  The  evil  powers  strive  to 
lure  him  from  his  set  purpose,  bidding  him  use  his 
unfolding  powers  to  secure  worldly  ends.  But  tri- 
umphant over  those  temptations,  he  uses  the  powers 
which  he  would  not  employ  for  his  own  needs,  to  save 
the  world.  This  devotion  to  service  leads  him  to  the 
third  great  Initiation,  symbolized  by  the  Transfigura- 
tion. He  again  ascends  "the  mountain  apart,"  the 
sacred  mount  of  initiation,  but  he  cannot  there  remain. 
He  sets  his  face  resolutely  toward  Jerusalem,  where 
he  is  to  meet  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of 
Fire — the  final  test  and  the  last  stage  of  the  "Way  of 
the  Cross."  He  is  now  ready  for  the  fourth  great  In- 
itiation, symbolized  by  the  passion.  He  has  become  vic- 
torious over  the  lower  nature,  and  is  willing  to  nail 
it  to  the  cross.  Although  he  enters  into  Jerusalem 
in  triumph  and  in  full  confidence  that  he  is  prepared 
for  the  sacrifice,  there  comes  the  bitter  agony  in  the 
garden,  and  for  a  moment  he  prays  that  the  cup  may 
pass_that  bitter  cup  of  betrayal,  desertion  and  pain, 
when  in  the  horrors  and  darkness  of  this  final  trial  it 
seems  that  even  the  Father  has  forsaken  him.  His 
inner  vision  is  blinded,  and  he  thinks  himself  alone; 
but  he  is  still  steadfast,  and  with  an  unconquering 
trust  he  yields  up  the  lower  life,  and  descends  into 
hell,  that  no  region  in  the  universe  may  remain  un- 
trodden. But  liberated  from  the  material  body  he 


124  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

sees  the  light  once  more,  and  feels  himself  again  as 
the  Son,  and  is  ready  for  the  fifth  Initation,  symbol- 
ized by  the  resurrection  and  ascension,  and  rises  tri- 
umphant over  death  and  hell;  then  He  remains  for  a 
time  on  earth  to  teach  his  disciples,  and  at  last  ascends 
into  Heaven. 

This  story  of  the  gospel  biography  sets  forth  in 
allegory  the  life  history  of  every  Initiate.  The  in- 
itiatory rites  symbolize  the  stages  through  which  the 
candidate  passes.  The  stage  of  the  soul's  progress 
typified  by  death,  burial  and  resurrection,  was  called 
in  Egypt  "the  death  rite,"  and  by  the  Gnostic  Chris- 
tians "the  Initiation  of  the  Cross." 

The  candidate  was  received  by  the  initiating  Hiero- 
phant  at  the  proper  time  and  place,  usually  a  secluded 
chamber  in  a  temple  or  pyramid,  and  laid  on  the 
stone  floor  with  arms  outstretched;  sometimes  on  a 
wooden  cross,  which  was  hollowed  out  to  support  the 
human  figure.  He  was  then  touched  with  the  thyr- 
sus, the  "spear  of  the  crucifixion,"  on  the  heart;  he 
then  passed  into  a  deep  trance.  The  body  was  placed 
in  a  sarcophagus  of  stone,  a  vault  or  tomb  beneath 
the  floor  of  the  Hall  of  Initiation;  and  carefully 
guarded.  Meantime,  while  the  body  was  dead  and 
buried,  he  himself  was  fully  alive  in  the  invisible 
world  (Hades),  and  undergoing  what  was  called  the 
tests  of  earth,  water,  fire  and  air.  He  then  put  on 
his  perfected  Bliss  Body,  which  was  now  fully  or- 
ganized as  a  vehicle  of  consciousness.  After  the 
third  day  the  cross,  bearing  the  body,  was  lifted  up 
and  carried  out  into  the  air  on  the  east  side  of  the 
pyramid  or  temple  and  placed  on  a  sloping  surface 
ready  to  greet  the  rising  sun.  At  the  moment  the 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  125 

first  rays  touched  the  face,  the  perfected  Initiate,  the 
Horus  or  Christ,  rose  from  the  dead,  resuscitated  the 
body,  and  glorified  it  by  his  resurrected  body,  no 
longer  a  natural  man  but  a  spiritual  man,  having  over- 
come death  and  hell. 

The  trance  typifies  his  "death  unto  sin";  the  re- 
vival, his  "rebirth  or  resurrection  unto  righteousness." 
In  the  "Acts  of  John"  there  is  preserved  the  tradition 
of  the  inner  schools  on  the  mystery  of  the  "In- 
itiation of  the  Cross."  We  find  here  no  trace  of  the 
literal  historic  tradition.  The  crucifixion  was  an  in- 
ner experience  of  the  soul.  The  cross  was  a  symbol 
of  the  crucifixion  of  the  soul  in  the  matter  and  its 
regeneraton.  "Mystical  death,"  says  Dr.  Hartman,  "is 
identical  with  spirital  regeneration."  ("Magic  White 
and  Black,"  Hartman,  p.  185.)  The  cross  also  sym- 
bolizes cosmic  processes.  If  the  "Acts  of  John"  had 
given  the  drama  of  Initiation,  as  well  as  the  liturgy,  we 
should  undoubtedly  have  seen  that  the  passion  of  Christ 
was  something  quite  different  from  what  has  been 
popularly  supposed.  I  have  shown  in  the  pieceding 
lectures  that  the  symbolic  rites  of  "crucifixion"  and 
the  "resurrection  of  the  dead,"  were  connected  with 
the  most  world-wide  mystic  festivals  of  antiquity,  a 
highly  important  fact,  for  it  enables  us  to  understand 
the  meaning  of  the  Christian  crucifixion  and  resur- 
rection. 

When  the  neophyte  reached  a  certain  stage  of 
perfection  or  enlightenment,  he  was  said  to  "rise 
from  the  dead."  The  phrase  "resurrection  from  the 
dead"  is  a  mystical  phrase  used  to  represent  the  new 
birth  or  resurrection,  the  Gnostic  illumination.  When 
the  candidate  reached  this  stage  he  was  immortal — 


126  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

had  attained  unbroken  consciousness  of  his  spiritual 
ego;  he  became  now  the  triumphant  Christ,  "I  am  he 
that  liveth  and  was  dead;  and  behold,  I  am  alive  for- 
evermore,  Amen;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and 
death."  (Rev.  I,  18.) 

Let  me  here  cite  several  authorities  regarding  this 
important  ceremony:  Dr.  Oliver,  speaking  of  In- 
itiation, says,  "It  was  considered  to  be  a  mystical 
death  or  oblivion  of  all  the  stains  and  imperfections 
of  a  corrupted  and  evil  life,  as  well  as  a  descent  into 
hell,  where  every  pollution  was  purged  by  lustrations 
of  fire  and  water;  and  the  perfect  Epopt  was  then 
said  to  be  regenerated  or  new  born,  restored  to  a 
renovated  existence  of  life,  light  and  purity,  and 
placed  under  divine  protection."  (History  of  In- 
itiation, Oliver,  p.  n.)  In  his  "Signs  and  Symbols," 
he  again  says,  "In  all  the  Ancient  Mysteries,  before 
an  aspirant  could  claim  to  participate  in  the  higher 
secrets  of  the  institution,  he  was  placed  within  the 
Pastos,  or  Bed,  or  Coffin;  or,  in  other  words,  was  sub- 
jected to  a  solitary  confinement  for  a  prescribed  period 
of  time,  that  he  might  reflect  seriously,  in  seclusion  and 
darkness,  on  what  he  was  about  to  undertake.  .  .  . 
This  was  the  symboical  death  of  the  mysteries,  and 
his  deliverance  from  confinement  was  the  act  of 
regeneration  or  being  born  again;  or,  as  it  was  also 
termed,  being  raised  from  the  dead.  .  .  The  cere- 
mony here  alluded  to  was,  doubtless,  the  same  as  the 
descent  into  Hades.  .  .  His  resurrection  from  the 
bed  [or  tomb]  was  his  restoration  to  life,  or  his 
regeneration  into  a  new  world;  and  it  was  virtually 
the  same  as  his  return  from  Hades.  .  .  The  candi- 
date was  made  to  undergo  these  changes  in  scenic 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  127 

representation;  and  was  placed  under  the  Pastos  in 
perfect  darkness,  generally  for  the  space  of  three 
days  and  nights."  (Signs  and  Symbols,  Oliver,  p.  78). 

Dr.  Mackey  says,  "The  vault  was,  in  the  Ancient 
Mysteries,  symbolic  of  the  grave,  for  Initiation  was 
symbolic  of  death,  where  alone  divine  Truth  is  to 
be  found."  (Encyclopedia  of  Freemasonry,  Mackey, 
p.  852.)  He  again  says,  "The  intention  of  the  cere- 
monies of  Initiation  into  them,  was,  by  a  scenic 
representation  of  death,  and  subsequent  restoration  to 
life,  to  impress  the  great  truths  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead  and  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  .  .They 
were  all  funereal  in  their  character;  they  began  in 
sorrow  and  lamentation,  they  ended  in  joy;  there  was 
an  aphanism,  or  burial ;  a  pastos,  or  grave ;  an  eure- 
sis,  or  discovery  of  what  had  been  lost ;  and  a  legend, 
or  mythical  relation — all  of  which  were  entirely  and 
profoundly  symbolical  in  their  character."  (The  Sym- 
bolism of  Freemasonry,  Mackey,  p.  38). 

Faber  says,  "The  Initiation  into  the  Mysteries 
scenically  represented  the  mystic  descent  into  Hades 
and  the  return  from  thence  to  the  light  of  day." 
("Origin  of  Pagan  Idolatry,"  Fabcr,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  384). 

Many  other  authorities  might  be  cited  in  evidence 
of  this  ceremony,  but  this  will  suffice  to  prove  the 
ceremony  universal  and  connected  with  all  the  Mys- 
tery Institutions. 

The  saying  of  Jesus  that  the  "Son  of  Man  shall 
remain  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of 
the  earth,"  corresponds  with  the  ancient  rite,  but  in 
the  gospel  story  of  the  resurrection  the  interval  from 
Friday  evening  to  Sunday  morning  cannot  be  re- 


128  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

garded  as  three  days  and  three  nights.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  the  shortening  of  the  time  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  in  the  degeneracy  of  the  Mysteries, 
where  attempts  were  made  to  minimize  all  require- 
ments, the  original  period  became  so  tedious  to  candi- 
dates who  could  not  pass  into  the  trance,  that  the 
time  was  reduced  from  seventy-two  hours  to  twenty- 
seven,  by  just  reversing  the  figures,  thus  saving  the 
candidate  nearly  two  full  days  of  solitary  confine- 
ment. The  materialized  gospel  story,  evidently  fol- 
lowed this  later  practice. 

These  great  rites  stood  originally  for  great  spirit- 
ual truths.  The  body  with  which  the  candidate 
"rose  from  the  dead"  was  the  Bliss  Body — the  body 
of  the  Christ  which  had  been  developed  during  the 
period  of  service  on  earth.  This  body  belongs  to  the 
life  of  the  Initiate — the  Christ  life.  Its  building  begins 
at  the  second  birth,  when  the  Christ  is  born  in  man, 
and  reaches  its  completion  at  the  resurrection.  Dur- 
ing this  evolutionary  period,  when  the  Son  is  "be- 
ing made  perfect"  the  Initiate  is  called  the  "Son  of 
Man;"  the  perfected,  risen,  and  glorified  Christ  is 
called  the  "Son  of  God." 

There  is  still  another  feature  of  the  Christ  story — 
the  Ascension.  This  has  to  do  with  the  third  part  of 
the  spiritual  body,  the  putting  on  of  the  Atmic  body, 
or  the  Vesture  or  Robe  of  Glory,  as  it  is  called  in  the 
Pistis  Sophia.  Spirtual  evolution  consists  in  the  or- 
ganization and  vitalization  of  the  various  Garments 
or  Sheaths  of  man  into  Vestures  or  Robes  of  Power 
and  Glory,  for  the  use  of  the  Regenerate  in  the  "Path 
of  Ascent,"  the  "Way  Above."  The  highest  Vesture 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  129 

prepares  the  Son  for  union  with  the  Father,  and  as 
a  spiritual  fact  this  is  symbolized  by  the  Ascension. 
The  material  story  of  the  Ascension  is  an  historiciza- 
tion  of  this  inner  mystic  truth,  experienced  by  every 
soul  that  becomes  consciously  one  with  God. 

"The  ascension  for  humanity  is  when  the  whole 
race  has  attained  the  Christ  condition,  the  state  of  the 
Son,  and  that  Son  becomes  one  with  the  Father,  and 
God  is  all  in  all.  That  is  the  goal,  prefigured  in  the 
triumph  of  the  Initiate,  but  reached  only  when  the 
human  race  is  perfected  and  when  'the  great  orphan, 
Humanity,'  is  no  longer  an  orphan,  but  consciously 
recognizes  itself  as  the  Son  of  God."  (Esoteric  Chris- 
tianity, Besant,  p.  249.) 


LECTURE  VII. 
THE  MEANING  OF  TRUE  INITIATION. 

(Concluded.) 

We  have  seen  in  the  preceding  lecture  that  the 
Christ  of  the  Mysteries  has  two  aspects — the  Mystic 
and  the  Mythic.  In  the  Mystic,  the  Microcosm, 
Man,  the  Christ  of  the  Mysteries,  represents  the  sec- 
ond aspect  of  the  divine  spirit  in  humanity,  called  the 
Christ;  in  the  Mythic,  the  Macrocosm,  the  Cosmos, 
the  Christ  of  the  Mysteries,  represents  the  Logos  in 
His  manifestation  through  His  Second  Aspect. 

In  the  preceding  lecture  we  have  studied  the  Mys- 
tic Christ ;  now  we  are  to  consider  the  Mythic  Christ. 

The  great  facts  of  the  spiritual  life  were  carefully 
guarded  in  the  Mysteries,  and  given  out  to  the  world 
only  in  symbolic  language.  The  Solar  or  Sun-Myth 
is  the  popular  teaching  concerning  the  Cosmic  Mythic 
Christ — the  Christ  of  the  Solar  Myths  or  legends.  A 
Myth  we  must  remember  is  not  mere  fiction;  it  may 
be  truer  than  written  history;  it  is  a  great  truth  em- 
bodied in  a  pictorial  form.  All  symbols  were  em- 
ployed by  Initiates  with  a  definite  meaning;  we  need, 
therefore,  to  know  the  true  meaning  of  the  symbols 
in  order  to  read  the  true  meaning  of  the  Myth. 

The  Solar-Myth  sets  forth,  primarily,  the  activity 
of  the  Logos  (the  Mythic  Christ)  in  the  universe; 
secondarily,  the  mystic  life  of  the  Initiate.  This 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  131 

story  of  the  Sun-God,  then,  is  of  utmost  importance. 
It  begins  with  his  birth  at  the  winter  solstice,  after 
the  shortest  day  of  the  year,  in  the  early  morning 
hours  of  Dec.  25th,  as  the  sign  Virgo  is  rising  above 
the  horizon.  He  is  thus  born  of  a  Virgin  who  remains 
such  after  giving  birth  to  her  Sun-Child,  for  the  celes- 
tial Virgo  is  still  unchanged.  In  the  ancient  drawings 
Virgo  of  the  Zodiac  is  represented  as  a  woman  suck- 
ling a  child ;  here  we  find  the  origin  of  the  symbol  of 
the  Madonna. 

The  Sun-God  is  weak  and  feeble  in  his  infancy — 
born  at  the  period  when  the  days  are  shortest  and  the 
nights  longest,  as  with  us  on  this  side  of  the  equa- 
torial line.  He  is  beset  by  perils  in  his  early  youth, 
but  he  outlives  the  threatening  dangers  of  darkness 
and  storm,  and  grows  to  manhood.  However,  he  is 
rapidly  approaching  his  crucifixion,  and  the  glorious 
days  preceding  the  spring  equinox  are  soon  to  be 
clouded  by  the  solar  disturbances  incident  upon  his 
crossing  the  line.  This  crossing  was  called  the  cruci- 
fixion, the  date  varying  with  each  year.  But  like  all 
so-called  death  it  is  an  illusion — merely  a  transition 
to  a  higher  life.  The  Sun-God  soon  rises  triumph- 
antly and  ascends  into  heaven — the  storms  are  dissi- 
pated and  darkness  gives  way  to  all-conquering  light. 
Jupiter,  Osiris,  Ormuzd,  Apollo,  are  victorious  over 
all  their  foes.  All  nature  rejoices,  celebrating  their 
conquest,  and  order  is  re-established  in  place  of  the 
dire  confusion  that  reigned  while  gloomy  Typhon  or 
Ahriman  was  dominant.  Thus  everywhere  we  find 
the  fable  that  typifies  the  triumph  of  Light  over 
darkness.  The  Sun  could  not  be  kept  entombed  by 
the  elements.  He  rose  from  the  dead  and  ascended 


132  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

into  heaven,  where,  at  the  Summer  Solstice,  he  at- 
tained the  acme  of  his  glory  and  perfection.  There 
he  rules  triumphant  and  gives  his  very  lite  to  ripen 
the  fruit  and  grain  and  so  sustain  his  worshipers. 

These  are  the  salient  points  in  the  lives  of  all  the 
Sun-Gods,  for  each  is  born  on  the  25th  of  December, 
and  crucified  at  the  Vernal  equinox.  The  birth-date 
is  fixed,  while  the  death-date  is  variable.  This  of  it- 
self should  be  sufficient  to  show  us  that  both  Christ- 
mas and  Easter  (the  Sunday  following  the  next  full 
moon  after  the  vernal  equinox)  were  originally  solar 
festivals.  A  festival  calculated  by  the  relative  posi- 
tions of  sun  and  moon,  was  not  designed  to  commem- 
orate the  anniversary  of  any  historical  event.  We 
are  not  here  dealing  with  the  history  of  a  man,  but 
with  the  Hero  of  a  solar  myth. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  fast  preceding  the 
Easter  festival  is  world-wide,  and  in  many  countries 
extended  to  the  time  limit  of  our  modern  Lent — 
forty  days.  Of  course,  the  original  period  was  only 
the  time  intervening  between  the  death  and  resurrec- 
tion. 

Another  interesting  fact  in  this  connection  is  that 
the  animal  adopted  as  the  symbol  of  the  Hero  is  the 
sign  of  the  Zodiac  in  which  the  Sun  is  at  the  vernal 
equinox  of  his  age,  and  this  varies  with  the  pre- 
cession of  the  equinoxes.  Thus  Cannes  and  Jesus 
had  the  sign  Pisces — the  Fishes;  Mithra  and  Osiris 
Taurus — the  Bull ;  Jupiter- Ammon-  Aries — the  Lamb, 
etc.,  while  Jesus  is  also  represented  as  the  Lamb. 

The  Sun-Myth,  then,  primarily  sets  forth  the  ac- 
tivity of  the  Logos  in  the  Cosmos.  This  activity  is 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  133 

reflected  in  a  partial  way  in  the  yearly  course  of  the 
Sun.  The  Logos,  in  His  Second  Aspect,  as  the  Cos- 
mic-Mythic Christ,  descends  into  matter — becomes 
incarnate,  clothed  in  "flesh."  He  thus  sacrifices  him- 
self by  putting  on  the  limitations  of  matter,  entering 
the  womb  of  matter  which  is  yet  virgin,  unproduc- 
tive. This  matter  has  been  vivified  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  it  might  presently  take  form  and  is  thus 
prepared  to  receive  the  life  of  the  Second  Logos,  the 
Son  aspect  of  God,  who  took  this  matter  as  a  vehicle 
for  his  energies.  The  original  of  the  Nicene  Creed 
ran  thus,  "And  was  incarnate  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
the  Virgin  Mary" — not  of  the  virgin-matter  alone,  but 
of  matter  already  pulsating  with  the  life  of  the  Third 
Logos,  so  that  both  the  life  and  the  matter  surrounded 
Him  as  a  vesture. 

Thus  was  the  descent  of  the  Logos  into  matter  de- 
scribed, in  the  historicized  life  of  the  Saviors, 
as  the  "Virgin  Birth,"  and  in  the  Solar  Myth  as 
the  birth  of  the  Sun-God.  The  misapprehension  of 
this  allegorical  illustration,  as  the  life  history  of  a 
physical  human  being,  and  its  identification  with  Jesus, 
and  the  various  other  World- Saviors,  was  most  unfor- 
tunate and  misleading. 

After  the  incarntaion  "come  the  early  workings  of 
the  Logos  in  matter,  aptly  typified  by  the  infancy  of 
the  Myth.  To  all  the  feebleness  of  infancy  His  Ma- 
jestic powers  bow  themselves,  letting  but  little  play 
forth  on  the  tender  forms  they  ensoul.  Matter  im- 
prisons, seems  as  though  threatening  to  slay,  its  infant 
King,  whose  glory  is  veiled  by  the  limitations  He  has 
assumed.  Slowly  He  shapes  it  towards  high  ends, 
and  lifts  it  into  manhood,  and  then  stretches  Himself 


134  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

on  the  cross  of  matter  that  He  may  pour  forth  from 
that  cross  all  the  powers  of  His  surrendered  life.  .  . 
Dead  He  seems  and  buried  out  of  sight,  but  He  rises 
again  clothed  in  the  very  matter  in  which  He  seemed 
to  perish,  and  carries  up  His  body  of  now  radiant 
matter  into  heaven,  where  it  receives  the  downpouring 
life  of  the  Father,  and  becomes  the  vehicle  of  man's 
immortal  life.  For  it  is  the  life  of  the  Logos  which 
forms  the  garment  of  the  soul  in  man,  and  He  gives  it 
that  men  may  live  through  the  ages  and  grow  to  the 
measure  of  his  own  statue.  Truly  are  we  clothed  in 
Him,  first  materially  and  then  spiritually."  (Esoteric 
Christianity,  p.  181.) 

The  Logos  thus  leaves  the  plane  of  Infinitude, 
where  He  is  one  with  the  Father,  and  becomes  incar- 
nate, and  is  finally  crucified  in  space.  This  is  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ,  the  great  cosmic  sacrifice,  rep- 
resented by  the  symbol  of  the  crucified  Man,  which 
at  last  becomes  materialized  into  an  actual  death  by 
crucifixon.  The  story  thus  historicized  became  at- 
tached to  the  various  World-Saviors.  But  the  orig- 
inal crucifixion  was  90  disgrace,  for  the  symbol  used 
to  represent  this  mystery  is  that  of  the  Heavenly  Man, 
with  arms  outstretched,  pouring  life  and  light  into 
His  creatures.  The  Solar-Myth  outlines  these  great 
spiritual  facts  regarding  the  working  of  God  in  the 
universe. 

Every  symbol  has  both  a  primary  and  a  secondary 
meaning.  The  Sun  is  a  symbol  of  the  Logos  in  its 
primary  meaning,  but  it  also  represents  any  one  who 
is  representative  of  the  Logos.  Thus  a  Great  Initi- 
ate, sent  on  a  special  mission  to  the  world,  would,  by 
virtue  of  his  office  and  mission,  have  the  Sun  as  his 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation 


135 


symbol.  All  who  are  thus  signified  would  have  cer- 
tain characteristics  in  common  and  pass  through  cer- 
tain activities,  and  thus  of  necessity  there  would 

arise  similarities  in  the  lives  of  these  ambassadors 

their  life  history  as  Initiates  being  outlined  by  the 
course  of  the  Sun. 

When  one  becomes  an  Initiate,  or  when  an  Initiate 
is  sent  out  into  the  world  as  a  Teacher  of  men,  and 
especially  when  a  spirit  such  as  Jesus  becomes  a  Hier- 
ophant  in  the  Mysteries,  then  the  legends  of  the 
Mythic  Christ,  which  have  been  told  of  other  Great 
Ones,  surround  Him  and  He  becomes  clothed  in  the 
drapery  of  the  Solar-Myth.  This  is  perfectly  natu- 
ral and  proper,  for  the  Solar-Myth  typifies  the  vari- 
ous stages  of  progress  through  whch  He  has  passed, 
and  this  symbolism  could  only  be  applied  to  one  who 
had  attained-  the  Christ  stage  of  evolution.  With 
such  a  one  the  festival  of  his  nativity  became  the 
date  when  the  Son  was  born  in  the  Virgin,  and  the 
sign  of  the  zodiac  at  the  vernal  equinox  became  that 
of  his  crucifixion.  Although  these  dates  were  purely 
arbitrary,  adopted  from  the  Sun-Myth,  the  facts  sym- 
bolized by  the  birth,  death,  and  resurrection  were 
living  realities  in  the  Mystic  life  of  every  Son  of  God. 
The  adoption  of  these  dates  into  the  materialized  life- 
story  of  the  Great  Saviors  is  thus  readily  explained — 
they  were  derived  from  the  solar  symbolism.  The 
fact  that  the  rites  of  Initiation  and  the  Solar-Myth 
both  symbolize  the  same  thing,  the  former  primarily 
typifying  the  growth  of  the  soul,  secondarily  the  work 
of  the  Logos,  and  vice  versa,  made  the  inter-weaving 
of  the  symbolism  in  this  particular  perfectly  natural, 
especially  so  as  the  great  solar  festivals,  the  solstices 


136  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

and  equinoxes,  were  the  times  when  the  Mysteries 
were  celebrated  and  the  rites  of  Initiation  adminis- 
tered. Thus  both  the  Mythic  and  Mystic  Christ  have 
contributed  to  the  gospel  story. 

These  Sun-Myth  stories  have  recurred  through  all 
the  ages,  having  been  told  and  retold  in  turn  of  each 
great  Teacher, — the  legends  of  the  Mythic  Christ, 
Buddha,  Krishna, — mingling  with  the  history  of  each, 
and  crystallizing  about  each  as  an  historical  person- 
age. But  these  materialized  stories  pertain  especially 
to  the  life  of  the  Son  of  Man,  a  distinctive  title,  not 
of  an  individual  but  an  office.  When  one  attains  this 
level  and  stands  in  this  relation  to  humanity,  then, 
as  a  representative  of  God,  the  story  of  the  Logos  in 
the  Sun  becomes  his  own  indeed,  for  the  facts  under- 
lying this  story  have  been  wholly  realized  in  his  spir- 
itual life. 

Here  we  learn  the  manner  in  which  arose  the  story 
of  the  death,  burial  and  resurrection  of  a  crucified 
Savior.  On  the  lines  of  the  Solar-Myth  and  the 
Initiatory  rites,  the  materializing  tendency  of  man 
wrought  out  for  itself,  in  each  religion,  an  historical 
narrative  of  a  personal  Savior,  who  is  virgin  born,  is 
crucified,  rises  from  the  dead,  and  finally  ascends 
into  heaven ;  or,  the  historicizing,  may,  in  some  in- 
stances, have  been  purposely  done  by  those  who 
knew, — the  popular  narrative  being  written  for  the 
multitude  in  such  a  way  as  to  set  forth  the  Mys- 
teries allegorically.  In  either  case, — and  perhaps  both 
methods  played  a  part  (we  have  abundant  proof  of 
the  former  and  many  indications  of  the  latter), — the 
account  symbolizes  the  inner  doctrine  and  sets  forth 
figuratively  the  occult  teaching  of  the  Gnosis.  But 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  137 

the  real  meaning  of  the  symbolical  teaching  of  the 
Myth  and  Ritual  has  been  practically  lost  sight  of; 
most  people  to-day  regard  the  narratives  as  the 
physical  life  history  of  individuals.  However,  there 
are  some  who  are  beginning  to  understand  that  the 
symbolical  teaching  of  the  death,  burial,  and  resur- 
rection are  but  typical  of  the  soul's  progress. 

Jesus  of  Nazareth,  like  Buddha,  Krishna,  and  many 
others,  was  draped  with  the  stories  of  the  Logos,  and 
the  salient  events  in  the  Sun-Myth  become  the  salient 
events  in  his  physical  life.  The  symbols,  once  ma- 
terialized, were  attached  to  each  Divine  Teacher  in 
turn,  giving  rise  to  the  wonderful  similarities  in  their 
respective  biographies. 

But  let  us  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  mystic 
birth,  baptism,  transfiguration,  death,  resurrection  and 
ascension  were  realities  in  the  life  history  of  every 
Initiate.  This  drama  is  repeated  in  every  soul  that 
becomes  a  Christ. 

The  story  of  the  gospel  was  originally  a  religious 
romance  intended  for  spiritual  instruction,  but  the 
later  bishops  of  the  outer  churches,  not  having  the 
key  to  the  inner  meaning,  accepted  the  romance  as 
actual  history.  It  is  said  that  "The  'common  docu- 
ment' [which  formed  the  basis  of  the  canonical  gos- 
pels] is  to  be  traced  to  the  sketch  of  an  ideal  life 
which  was  intended  for  purposes  of  propaganda, 
and  which  could  be  further  explained  to  those  who 
were  ready  for  more  definite  instructions  in  the  true 
nature  of  the  Christ-Mystery,  To  a  certain  extent 
it  was  based  on  some  of  the  traditions  of  the  actual 
historic  doings  of  Jesus,  but  the  historical  details  were 


138  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

often  transformed  by  the  light  of  the  mystery-teach- 
ing, and  much  was  added  in  changed  form  concern- 
ing the  drama  of  the  Christ  Mystery;  allegories  and 
parables  and  actual  mystery  doings  were  woven  into  it, 
with  what  appears  now  to  be  a  consummate  art  which 
has  baffled  for  ages  the  intellect  of  the  world,  but 
which  at  the  time  was  regarded  by  the  writer  as  a 
modest  effort  at  simplifying  the  spiritual  truths  of  the 
Inner  life,  by  putting  them  forward  in  the  form  of 
what  we  should  now  call  a  'historical  romance,'  but 
which  in  his  day  was  one  of  the  natural  methods  of 
haggada  and  apocalyptic."  (Did  Jesus  Live  100 
Years  B.  C.f  Mead,  p.  422.) 

The  author  of  this  romance  never  dreamed  that  the 
story  would  be  taken  otherwise  than  as  he  intended 
it — a  symbol,  but  in  the  compilation  of  the  canonical 
accounts  much  legend  and  historicized  dogma  was 
built  around  this  original  romance. 

The  mystic  teaching  in  this  way  became  accepted 
first  as  history  and  finally  as  dogma.  Irenaeus  was 
one  of  the  chief  developers  of  the  dogmas.  The 
Gnostics  contended  that  he  and  those  like  him  who 
accepted  the  crude  literal  view,  did  not  know  the  ori- 
gin and  meaning  of  these  things.  Papius  and  Mar- 
cion,  who  were  earlier  than  Irenaeus,  insisted  that 
such  scripture  was  not  reliable  as  absolute  history. 
The  Gnostics  knew  how  these  scriptures  were  made 
and  they  possessed  a  "memory  of  the  manner  of  things 
done  and  said  from  the  earliest  times,  and  looked  with 
amazement  on  the  narrow  and  cramping  beliefs  that 
the  bishops  of  the  outer  churches  were  imposing  on 
Christendom  as  the  only  truths  of  the  Christ-revela- 
tion. .  .  This  contention  of  the  Gnostics,  as  of 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  139 

men  earlier  than  Justin  and  Irenaeus,  is  still  sub- 
judice  before  the  bar  of  history.  It  means  a  total 
reconstruction  of  the  history  of  the  origins."  (G.R. 
S.  Mead  in  Theosophical  Review,  March,  '06.) 

The  Gnostics  treated  the  gospel  legends,  not  as  his- 
tory, but  as  symbolic  of  cosmic  processes  and  the 
drama  of  Initiation.  I  have  already  shown  that  the 
Gnostics  did  not  accept  the  crucifixion  and  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  as  historic  facts.  Justin  Martyr  also  i 
gives  evidence  that  the  early  church  did  not  under- 
stand these  things  in  a  literal  sense.  He  says,  "And 
when  we  say  that  the  Word  (Logos)  which  is  the 
first  begetting  of  God  was  begotten  without  inter- 
course,— Jesus  Christ,  our  Master, — and  that  he  was 
crucified,  and  was  dead,  and  rose  again  and  ascend- 
ed into  heaven,  we  bring  forward  no  new  thing  be- 
yond those  among  you  who  are  called  Sons  of  Zeus. 
For  ye  know  how  many  sons  the  writers  who 
are  held  in  honor  among  you  ascribe  to  Zeus: — 
Hermes,  the  Word  (Logos),  who  was  the  inter- 
preter and  teacher  of  all;  and  Asclepius,  who 
was  also  a  healer  and  was  smitten  by  the  bolt  [of 
his  sire]  and  ascended  into  heaven.  .  .  [and  many 
others]."  (Quoted  in  Thrice  Greatest  Hermes,  Mead, 
Vol.  Ill,  p.  217.)  Justin  Martyr  here  asserts  that  the 
Christians  bring  forward  no  new  thing  in  the  doctrines 
of  Christ's  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  "beyond 
those  among  you  who  are  called  the  'Sons  of  Zeus.' " 
The  doctrine,  then,  was  a  part  of  the  Mysteries,  well 
known  by  all  who  had  attained  to  the  state  of  Sons 
of  God.  This  mystery  could  not  be  understood  by 
the  uninitiated,  and  so  Justin  appeals  to  the  Sons  of 
Zeus,  and  assures  them  that  he  has  no  new  doctrine. 


140  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

This  is  conclusive  evidence  that  at  the  time  of  Justin 
Martyr,  140  to  1 60  A.  D.,  these  great  spiritual  reali- 
ties in  the  Mystic  life  were  not  regarded  by  some,  at 
least,  as  historical  facts. 

Justin  further  says,  "But  as  to  the  Son  of  God 
called  Jesus, — even  though  he  were  only  a  man 
[born]  in  the  common  way,  [yet]  because  of  [his] 
wisdom  is  he  worthy  to  be  called  Son  of  God;  for  all 
writers  call  God  'Father  of  men  and  gods/  And 
if  we  say  [further]  that  he  was  also  in  a  special  way, 
beyond  the  common  birth,  begotten  of  God  [as]  Word 
(Logos)  of  God,  let  us  have  this  in  common  with 
you  who  call  Hermes  the  Word  [Logos]  who  brings 
tidings  from  God."  (Ibid,  p.  217.) 

The  Sonship  of  Jesus,  then,  was  considered  the 
same  as  that  of  Hermes.  And  note  also  that  "begot- 
ten of  God"  did  not  refer  to  physical  birth,  but  to 
something  beyond.  Justin  distinctly  stated  that  Jesus 
was  a  man  born  in  the  common  way.  This  higher 
birth  by  which  man  was  begotten  of  God,  and  so  be- 
came a  "Son,"  was  not  exceptional  with  Christianity. 
In  fact,  Justin  Martyr  wants  it  distinctly  understood 
that  he  teaches  nothing  new,  but  merely  claims  for 
Jesus  the  distinctive  title  of  a  Son  of  God,  in  the  same 
sense  as  were  Hermes,  Asclepius,  Dionysus,  and  oth- 
ers, Sons  of  God,  that  is,  he  claimed  Jesus  was  an 
Initiate. 

Origen  also  is  in  accord  with  Justin  Martyr.  He 
speaks  of  the  "mystery  of  the  resurrection"  and  con- 
trasts this  inner  doctrine,  (which  he  says  is  not  un- 
derstood by  unbelievers,)  with  the  exoteric  doctrine 
of  the  resurrection  which  was  known  to  all  and  was 


The  Meaning  of  True  Initiation  141 

an  article  of  faith  among  many.  (Origen  Against 
Celsus,  Book  I,  Ch.  VII.}  It  is  quite  evident  that 
there  was  a  wide  difference  between  the  mystic  doc- 
trine of  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection,  and  the  pop- 
ular exoteric  faith. 

Thus  studying  the  inner  teaching  of  the  Mysteries 
we  see  that  Christ  is  not  a  unique  personage,  but  the 
first  fruits — the  promise  of  man  made  perfect.  The 
Initiate  has  ever  been  thus  regarded,  for  to  attain  the 
Christ-state  is  salvation.  "The  stage  of  discipleship 
was  to  pass  into  that  of  Sonship.  The  life  of  the  Son 
was  to  be  lived  among  men  till  it  was  closed  by  the  res- 
urrection, and  the  glorified  Christ  became  one  of  the 
perfected  Saviors  of  the  World."  (Esoteric  Chris~ 
tianity,  Besant,  p.  250.) 

Every  man  is  a  potential  Christ,  and  the  purpose 
of  evolution  is  to  raise  every  human  being  to  the  sub- 
lime degree  of  a  Master  Christ. 


LECTURE  VIII. 

THE  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY  OF  FREE- 
MASONRY. 

The  majority  of  the  uninitiated  believe  that  every- 
thing connected  with  Masonry  is  to  be  kept  a  secret. 
This  is  an  error,  for  there  are  many  books  written  on 
Masonry  which  are  open  to  the  perusal  of  all,  whether 
they  be  members  of  or  strangers  to  the  Order.  I 
shall  divulge  no  pledged  secrets. 

The  Eminent  Masonic  Scholars,  Messrs.  Stillson 
and  Hughan,  in  introducing  the  "History  of  Free- 
masonry and  Concordant  Orders,"  plainly  state  that, 
"Neither  is  the  work  necessarily  for  Freemasons 
alone;  for  not  a  few  of  the  chapters  furnish  excel- 
lent and  suggestive  reading  for  those  who  would  like 
to  know  somewhat  of  the  Brotherhood  either  prior  to 
joining  its  ranks,  or  because  of  this  eligible  oppor- 
tunity to  peruse  a  reliable  account  of  so  venerable  and 
pre-eminently  respectable  an  Organization." 

Except  for  some  portions  of  the  Ceremony — the 
signs  and  passwords — which  relate  to  the  modes  of 
recognition,  there  is  nothing  secret  in  Masonry. 

There  has  been  so  much  misunderstanding  on  this 
subject  that  perhaps  it  might  be  well  to  corroborate 
this  statement.  The  same  standard  authority  just 
cited  says,  "At  the  outset,  therefore,  it  is  well  to  point 
out  that  the  Masonic  fraternity  is  not,  strictly  speak- 


The  Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  143 

ing,  a  secret  society,  for  it  has  neither  secret  aims 
nor  constitutions.  Everywhere  its  laws  may  be  per- 
used by  'friend  and  foe'  alike,  and  its  objects  are 
exclusively  those  which  are,  and  always  have  been, 
published  to  the  world.  It  is  private  rather  than 
secret;  for,  unless  it  be  our  esoteric  customs,  which 
relate,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  our  universal  and  spe- 
cial modes  of  recognition,  we  have  no  secrets." 

Many  absurd  notions  regarding  Masonry  have 
gained  credence  in  the  past,  even  among  Masons 
themselves.  We  are  pleased  to  see  that  modern  Ma- 
sonic writers  are  endeavoring  to  right  these  miscon- 
ceptions. Formerly  it  was  regarded  as  treason  to 
speak  to  the  profane  the  truth  regarding  the  history 
of  the  Order.  That  certain  exaggerated  statements 
were  made  in  the  days  when  little  was  known  of  the 
history  of  the  institution,  gives  no  reason  for  a  con- 
tinuance of  these  errors. 

There  is  no  reason  to-day  for  the  pretensions  that 
Freemasonry  originated  in  the  days  of  King  Solomon, 
or  with  the  Jewish  Patriarchs,  or  that  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  Masonry — the  unity  of  God  and  the  Im- 
mortality of  the  soul — were  the  exclusive  possession 
of  any  one  people  or  religion.  Such  claims  were  made 
before  the  science  of  comparative  religions  was  so 
well  known.  For  modern  investigation  of  the  world- 
religions  show  us  that  these  beliefs  were  world-wide, 
and  held  by  all  the  great  nations  of  antiquity  before 
the  Jewish  nation  was  born,  or  Abraham  had  left  the 
valley  of  the  Euphrates. 

Neither  is  the  old  Masonic  tradition  tenable  that 
all  the  knowledge  of  the  ancient  Mysteries  and  the 


144  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

present  interior  form  of  Freemasonry  was  derived 
from  the  Tyrian  workmen  at  the  building  of  King 
Solomon's  Temple.  There  is  no  evidence  that  the 
Jews  possessed  this  "interior  form,"  or  that  Masonry 
itself  included  it  before  1717  when  it  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Order  by  those  who  had  a  knowledge 
of  the  Ancient  Mysteries.  Masonry,  then,  is  not  a 
lineal  descendant  of  the  Mysteries ;  but  is  moulded 
upon  them.  The  Reconstructionists  built  upon  the 
ancient  myths,  using  symbols  known  from  the  earliest 
days,  and  wove  these  symbols  and  myths  derived  from 
the  Mysteries,  into  the  symbolism  of  Solomon's  Tem- 
ple. 

The  traveling  Freemasons  of  the  Middle  Ages  may 
or  may  not  have  been  descendants  of  the  Dionysian 
artificers ;  of  this  we  have  no  evidence,  nor  do  we 
know  the  exact  date  of  the  beginning  of  the  Masonic 
movement,  but  are  assured  it  can  lay  claim  to  no 
great  antiquity — the  actual  history  of  the  Craft  ex- 
tending no  further  back  than  some  six  centuries. 
And  then  this  early  organization,  prior  to  the  recon- 
struction period  of  1717,  was  something  quite  different 
from  its  present  form — modern  Masonry  being  an 
entirely  new  departure. 

The  application  of  the  term  Freemasonry  to  the 
Ancient  Mysteries,  whether  Jewish  or  Pagan,  is  then 
misleading;  and  the  designation  of  the  former  as 
pure  and  the  latter  as  spurious,  is  absurd  and  without 
any  basis  in  fact.  Both  systems  were  derived  from 
the  same  source  and  both  are  true;  however,  the 
Pagan  antedated  the  Jewish  by  many  thousands  of 
years.  It  is  curious  what  people  will  do  and  to  what 
extremes  they  will  go  in  support  of  a  theological  creed ! 


The   Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry 

Although  the  origin  of  the  Masonic  movement  is 
modern,  we  hold  that  it  had  its  source  in  true  Mys- 
ticism, and  is  one  of  the  channels  of  the  Mystic  teach- 
ing. In  corroboration  of  this  let  us  note  some  of  the 
connecting  links  between  the  esoteric  schools  of  the 
early  Christian  centuries  and  the  later  Masonic  move- 
ment. 

The  words  of  the  well  known  Masonic  authority,  E. 
Macbean,  are  of  interest  in  this  connection.  He  says, 
"I  may  suggest  that  some  portion  at  least  of  our  sym- 
bolism may  have  come  through  a  Templar  source, 
Romanist,  yet  deeply  tinged  with  Gnosticism;  while 
at  a  later  date  the  Lollards,  (supposed  to  be  inheritors 
of  Manicheism),  and  who  were  but  one  of  the  many 
religo-political  societies  with  which  Europe  was  honey- 
combed, possibly  introduced  or  revived  some  of  these 
teachings.  .  .  One  thing  is  certain,  that  satisfactory 
renderings  of  our  symbols  can  only  be  obtained  by  a 
study  of  Eastern  Mysticism;  Kabbalistic,  Hermetic, 
Pythagorean,  and  Gnostic.  Down  the  centuries  we 
find  enrolled  the  names  of  philosophic  teachers  who 
veiled  their  doctrines  in  figures  similar  to  those  in 
vogue  among  the  Rosicrucians  and  still  more  recent 
students,  and  often  identical  with  the  signs  we  blazon 
on  the  walls  of  our  Lodges  and  Chapters."  (Hidden 
Sources  of  Masonry,  Cooper-Oakley,  pp.  34-35.) 

One  tradition  traces  Masonry  to  Manicheism  or 
The  Sons  of  the  Widow.  John  Yarker,  in  speaking 
of  this  order,  says,  "About  the  year,  200,  A.  D.,  the 
most  noteworthy  Gnostic  sect  was  a  Persian  branch 
of  the  Manichees;  it  was  divided  into  three  classes — 
Auditors,  Elect  and  Perfect,  and  the  sect  was  ruled  by 
twelve  Apostles,  with  a  thirteenth  as  President.  .  . 


146  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  Rite  had  a  Theosophical  Gospel,  which  taught 
that  the  basis  of  all  religion  was  one.  In  657  they 
had  changed  their  names  to  Paulicians,  and  later 
Cathari,  Euchites,  Bogomiles,  and  in  still  more  recent 
times  still,  Lollards.  .  .  They  were  a  secret  spec- 
ulative society,  with  degrees,  distinguished  by  signs, 
tokens  and  words  like  Freemasonry."  (The  Kneph, 
Vol.  V,  No.  4.) 

This  order  was  founded  by  Mani,  as  a  restatement 
of  the  old  truths  of  the  Mysteries,  and  contained  the 
true  Gnosis.  He  combined  the  teachings  of  Zoroaster 
with  those  of  Jesus — both  being  aspects  of  the  same 
Wisdom, — but  the  mystery  teaching  had  come  to  be 
regarded  as  heretical  by  the  established  Orthodoxy 
of  both  religions,  consequently  he  was  put  to  death 
by  the  Persians,  and  his  disciples  likewise  slain  by  the 
Christians. 

The  Manicheans,  from  the  fourth  century,  were 
bitterly  persecuted  by  the  Roman  Church;  the  society, 
however,  spread  rapidly  in  spite  of  all  opposition. 
Says  Reghellina  da  Schio,  a  well  known  Italian 
Mason,  "In  the  lifetime  of  Manes  [Mani],  his  pupil, 
Herman,  had  spread  his  teaching  in  Egypt,  where 
the  Coptic  priests  and  other  Christians  mingled  it 
with  the  Mysteries  adopted  from  the  Jews.  .  .  It 
was  through  these  same  Coptic  priests  and  the  East- 
ern Christians  that  both  the  Mysteries  of  the  Children 
of  the  Widow,  and  the  cult  of  the  Great  Architect, 
came  to  us  in  consequence  of  apparently  unforeseen 
events,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  it  was  principally  by 
means  of  the  Crusades  that  they  obtained  a  secure 
footing  in  the  West.  The  Mysteries  maintained  their 
existence  under  the  name  of  the  cult  of  the  Great 


The   Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  147 

Architect  of  the  Universe,  a  name  that  has  its  origin 
in  the  allegory  of  Hiram,  which  represented,  in  the 
Mysteries,  'the  unknown  God/  the  Eternal.  .  .  The 
long  time  that  elapsed  during  the  war  of  the  Cru- 
sades gave  them  the  opportunity  of  being  admitted  into 
all  the  Mysteries  of  the  Children  of  the  Widow. 
The  Crusaders  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  mys- 
teries of  the  Children  of  the  Widow  and  initiated 
therein,  imparted  them,  on  their  return  home,  to  their 
pupils  in  Europe."  (Quoted  in  Hidden  Sources  of 
Masonry,  p.  37.) 

The  secret  teaching  is  supposed  to  have  passed 
from  the  Templars  to  the  Freemasons.  Eclert  traces 
the  connection  of  the  Manicheans  with  the  Johannes- 
Bruder  of  the  West,  and  links  them  also  to  the  Ger- 
man Building  Corporations  and  Societies. 

The  Manicheans  were  known  at  different  ages  un- 
der different  names.  After  the  death  of  the  founder 
there  was  a  fusion  of  the  Order  with  some  of  the 
leading  Christian  Gnostic  sects,  thus  was  further  in- 
termingled the  two  rich  streams  of  Divine  Wisdom: 
one  coming  from  Egypt  through  Palestine,  the  other 
from  India  through  Persia.  The  name  of  the  ex- 
ternal form,  which  preserved  the  secret  science  through 
the  ages,  was  ever  changing,  so  we  are  not  surprised 
to  find  one  tradition  tracing  Freemasonry  to  the  Gno- 
stic Brotherhood  of  St.  John,  and  it  might  equally  as 
well  be  ascribed  to  the  Albigenses,  Johannite  Chris- 
tians, Troubadours,  and  a  host  of  others,  for  all 
were  possessors  of  the  same  mystic  tradition,  and 
transmitted  their  knowledge  from  age  to  age.  When 
persecuted  under  one  name  they  veiled  their  mys- 
teries under  another. 


148  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  Cologne  Record,  which  is  dated  1535,  bears 
witness  that  a  secret  society  existed  before  1440,  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  John,  and 
since  then  and  up  to  1535  under  the  title  of  St. 
John's  Order  of  Freemasonry  or  Masonic  Brother- 
hood. This  Record  contains  the  following  passage: 
"The  Brotherhood,  or  the  Order  of  Freemason 
Brothers,  bound  together  according  to  St.  John's  holy 
rules ;  traces  its  origin  neither  from  the  Templars  nor 
from  any  other  spiritual  or  temporal  Knightly  Or- 
der, but  it  is  older  than  all  similar  Orders,  and  has 
existed  in  Palestine  and  Greece,  as  well  as  in  various 
parts  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Before  the  Crusades 
our  Brotherhood  arose ;  at  a  time  when  in  consequence 
of  the  strife  between  the  sects  teaching  Christian 
morals,  a  small  number  of  the  Initiated — entrusted 
with  the  true  teaching  of  virtue,  and  the  sensible  ex- 
position of  the  secret  teaching — separated  themselves 
from  the  mass."  Of  course,  the  authenticity  of  this 
Record  is  rejected  by  materialistic  Masons,  but  is 
usually  accepted  as  genuine  by  all  Mystic  Masons. 
Mr.  Mackensie  points  out  that  the  Record  is  referred 
to  in  the  register  of  the  Lodge  at  Hague,  as  there  in 
existence,  so,  if  it  is  a  fraud,  it  is  one  of  at  least  two 
centuries  standing.  The  mystic  teaching  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  St.  John  must  have  been  the  same 
as  that  of  the  other  mystic  Orders,  and  the  value 
of  this  Rec®rd  is  in  the  testimony  it  bears  to  the  known 
existence  of  this|  secret  teaching;  whether  Masonry 
received  it  from  the  Templars  or  from  some  older 
organization  is  not  important. 

Some  contend  that  until  the  revival,  in  1717,  the 
mysteries  of  the  craft  were  merely  the  peculiar  meth- 


The  Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  149 

ods  or  rules  employed  in  their  special  art.  This  may 
be  partly  true  of  the  body  as  a  whole,  but  that  an  inner 
occult  teaching  existed  is  quite  evident.  Gen.  Pike 
says  that  "Among  Freemasons  of  a  certain  class  and 
limited  in  number,  the  same  symbolism  or  a  large 
part  of  the  same,  as  afterwards  placed  in  the  de- 
grees, did  exist  long  before,  perhaps  some  centuries 
before  1717."  If  they  possessed  the  symbols  they  must 
have  had  a  knowledge,  in  part  at  least,  of  their  mean- 
ing. Again  Gen.  Pike  says,  "The  art  of  building 
then  stood  above  all  other  arts  and  made  all  others 
subservient  to  it.  It  commanded  the  services  of  the 
most  brilliant  intellects  and  of  the  greatest  artists. 
The  old  symbolism  was  embodied  in  the  churches 
and  cathedrals,  and  some  of  these  were  adorned  with 
figures  and  devices  which  would  never  have  been  tol- 
erated there  if  the  priesthood  had  known  what  they 
;r,eant  to  the  Adepts."  This  proves  their  possession 
of  occult  knowledge. 

Mr.  Findel  sums  up  the  opinions  of  the  leading 
Freemasons  of  Germany  as  follows:  "The  Grand 
Lodge  of  Germany  further  assumes,  that  in  the  Build- 
ing Fraternities  of  the  Middle  Ages,  besides  their 
art,  a  secret  science  was  carried  on,  the  substratum 
of  which  was  a  real  Christian  Mystery,  serving  as  a 
preparatory  or  elementary  school  and  stepping  stone 
to  that  and  the  St.  John's  Masonry,  which  latter  was 
not  a  mere  system  of  moral  philosophy,  but  closely 
allied  and  connected  with  this  mystery.  It  was  con- 
ceded, that  the  Freemasonry  of  our  days,  (St.  John's 
Freemasonry),  sprang  from  the  Building  Fraternities 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  but  at  the  same  time  as- 
serted that  in  the  early  ages  there  existed  a  secret 


150  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

society  which  strove  to  compass  the  perfecting  of  the 
human  race,  precisely  in  the  same  manner,  and  em- 
ploying similar  means,  as  did  the  Swedish  system, 
which  in  fact  only  followed  in  the  wake  of  its  pre- 
decessor, being  concealed  in  the  Building  Fraternities, 
so  that  our  society  did  not  arise  from  them,  but  made 
itself  a  way  through  them.  The  secret  science,  the 
mystery,  was  very  ancient  indeed.  This  mystery 
formed  the  secret  of  the  Higher  Degrees  of  the 
Rite,  which  were  not  merely  kept  hidden  from  the 
rest  of  the  confederation,  but  also  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  inferior  degrees  of  the  system  itself. 
This  mystery  was  fully  confirmed  by  documents, 
which  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Germany  had  in  its  keeping. 
....  This  secret  legend  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
Carpocratians,  which  is  that  Jesus  chose  some  of  the 
Apostles  and  confided  to  them  a  secret  science,  which 
was  transmitted  afterwards  to  the  priests  of  the  Order 
of  the  Knights  Templars,  and  through  them  to  the 
Building  Fraternities,  down  to  the  present  Free- 
masons of  the  Swedish  Rite.  .  .The  Swedish  system 
teaches  that  there  have  been  men  of  all  nations  who 
have  worshipped  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  sur- 
rounded by  idolatry  and  superstition,  have  yet  pre- 
served their  purer  faith.  Separate  from  the  world, 
and  unknown  to  it,  this  Wisdom  has  been  pre- 
served by  them  and  handed  down  as  a  mys- 
tery. In  the  time  of  the  Jews  they  made  use 
of  the  Essenes,  in  which  sect  Jesus  was  brought 
up,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 

"Having  been  instructed  by  Him  in  a  more  perfect 
knowledge  of  Holy  Things,  they  had,  amid  persecu- 
tion, taught  in  silence  that  which  was  committed  to 


The  Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  151 

their  keeping.  At  the  period  of  the  Saracens  and, the 
Crusades  they  were  so  greatly  oppressed  that  they  must 
ultimately  have  sought  for  protection  from  without. 
As  fate,  however,  would  have  it,  seven  of  them,  Sy- 
riac  Christians,  pursued  by  unbelievers,  near  Bastrum, 
were  rescued  by  the  Knights-Templars,  and  after- 
wards taken  under  their  protecton.  When  they 
had  lived  there  for  a  certain  time  they  begged  for 
permission  to  dwell  with  the  Canons  or  Prebendaries 
of  Jerusalem,  as  the  life  there  led  agreed  better 
with  their  own  inclinations  and  habits.  This  was 
accorded  them,  and  Andreas  Montebarrensis  effected 
a  union  of  these  Syrians  with  the  Canons,  to  whom, 
out  of  gratitude,  they  imparted  all  their  science,  and 
so  completely  did  they  make  the  priests  of  the  order 
the  depositories  of  their  secrets  that  they  kept  and 
handed  them  over  to  others  under  certain  conditions. 
Thus,  this  secret  knowledge  lived  on  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  Order  of  Knights  Templars  till  its'  abolition. 
The  clergy  were  dispersed  with  the  persecution  that 
ensued,  but  as  the  secular  arm  did  not  touch  them,  as 
it  did  the  Knights,  they  managed  to  rescue  many  of 
their  secret  writings,  and  when  the  Knights  sought 
refuge  in  Scotland,  they  founded  a  Chapter  at  Aber- 
deen, the  first  Prior  of  which  was  Petrus  de  Bononia. 
The  science  was  disseminated  from  this  place,  but 
very  cautiously,  first  to  Italy,  then  to  the  extreme 
north  (Sweden  and  Russia?),  and  France."  (His- 
tory of  Freemasonry,  Findel,  pp.  299-310.) 

To  be  sure,  Mr.  Findel  quotes  this  history  in  a 
rather  skeptical  way,  but  the  claim  of  a  secret  teach- 
ing is  too  well  attested  to  be  seriously  questioned. 
The  Middle  Ages  were  honey-combed  with  mystic 


152  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

societies,  each  an  instrument  used  in  keeping  alive 
and  handing  along  the  mystic  teaching  under  various 
disguises.  If  Masonry  had  no  part  in  this  work,  it 
was  truly  an  exception  to  the  many  societies  that  ex- 
isted from  the  4th.  to  the  i8th.  centuries. 

The  early  history  of  Freemasonry  is  very  meagre, 
owing  perhaps  to  the  nature  of  the  organization.  The 
earliest  records  of  actual  lodge  meetings  were  in  1599, 
but  there  are  copies  of  "Old  Charges"  and  laws  dat- 
ing from  the  I4th.  century. 

It  does  not  appear  from  the  oldest  manuscript  that 
they  used  signs,  tokens,  and  words,  such  as  later  on 
were  employed  to  secure  recognition;  however,  such 
may  have  been  the  case.  There  were  certain  secrets 
which  pertained  to  the  art  of  building,  which  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Lodge  were  bound  to  keep,  and  it  was  these 
trade  secrets  which  gave  to  the  Order  its  monopoly. 
But  in  the  course  of  time  the  strict  regulation  of  the 
guilds  relaxed  and  there  gradually  grew  up  another 
body  of  operatives,  which  succeeded  in  breaking  down  t 
the  monopoly,  thus  opening  the  way  for  the  purely 
Speculative  Society. 

The  term  Freemason,  which  originally  meant  a 
worker  in  free  stone,  came  later  on  to  be  applied  to 
all  "Craftsmen  who  had  obtained  their  freedom  as 
Masons  to  work  in  Lodges  with  the  Fraternity  after 
due  apprenticeship  and  passing  as  Fellow  Crafts." 
As  early  even  as  the  oldest  "Charges"  persons  not 
operative  Masons  were  admitted  to  the  Order  and 
were  designatad  by  the  term  "Accepted,"  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  working  Masons,  for  many 
of  this  class  were  attracted  to  Masonry  by  the  moral 


The   Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  153 

principles,  and  perhaps  the  mystic  knowledge  of  the 
Fraternity.  Some  of  these  were  men  of  learning,  and 
it  was  this  class  undoubtedly  that  had  much  to  do 
with  the  reconstruction  of  the  Order.  The  introduc- 
tion of  this  "Speculative"  membership;  that  is,  those 
who  did  not  follow  the  trade  as  a  means  of  livelihood, 
proved  a  most  fortunate  thing  for  the  preservation  of 
the  Order  at  a  time  when  the  old  "Charges"  had 
practically  ceased  to  be  influential.  Had  this  not  been 
done  it  is  doubtful  if  the  Institution  of  Freemasonry 
would  have  been  in  existence  to-day. 

Speculative  Masonry  existed  as  far  back  as  the 
oldest  "Charges,"  but  the  proportion  which  the  Spec- 
ulative element  bore  to  the  Operative  is  not  known. 
From  the  few  records  we  have  of  the  i/th.  century, 
it  would  seem  that  at  that  time  the  great  majority  were 
Speculative  Freemasons,  although  some  bodies  were 
chiefly  Operative. 

We  learn  from  the  old  records  that  Apprentices 
served  seven  years,  and  that  being  passed  to  Fellow 
Crafts  depended  upon  the  result  of  an  examination 
as  to  their  operative  skill,  and  likewise  the  passing 
of  Fellow  Crafts  to  Master  Masons.  Of  course,  this 
did  not  apply  to  the  honorary  members.  Apprentices 
were  members  and  exercised  all  the  privileges  as  such, 
just  the  same  as  Fellow  Crafts  and  Masters,  for  at 
that  time  the  separate  Masonic  degrees  had  not  come 
into  existence.  Three  grades  or  classes  were  recog- 
nized, but  this  did  not  signify  esoteric  stages,  and 
we  find  no  intimations  of  two  or  more  degrees  being 
worked  before  the  "revival"  of  1717. 

By  the  latter  part  of  the  I7th  century  Masonry  in 
England  had  begun  to  retrograde.  The  Society  became 


154  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

so  commercial  that  it  applied  merely  to  selfish  gain, 
causing  some  who  were  more  deeply  interested  in  the 
Order  to  realize  that  something  must  be  done  to  pre- 
vent total  extinction  of  the  Fraternity.  The  two 
moving  spirits  were  Dr.  Anderson  and  Dr.  Desaguliers 
and  at  their  hands  the  Order  saw  a  complete  change 
in  1717.  During  that  year  four  Lodges  met  in  Lon- 
don on  June  24,  and  formed  the  premier  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  World.  This,  however,  did  not  include  the 
Masonic  body  at  York.  The  York  Masons  remained 
independent,  and  formed  in  1725  a  Grand  Lodge  of 
their  own,  called  the  Grand  Lodge  of  all  England. 
This  body  continued  until  1790,  but  it  never  chartered 
Lodges  outside  of  England. 

Dr.  Anderson  and  Dr.  Desaguliers,  together  with 
other  old  members  chosen  for  their  ability,  were  des- 
ignated by  the  Order  to  formulate  a  new  and  better 
method  of  the  history,  charges,  regulations,  etc.  As 
the  result  of  their  work  we  have  the  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masonry,  founded  on  the  apochryphal  legend 
of  "Hiram,"  and  the  "Symbolism  of  Solomon's  Tem- 
ple." 

In  the  formation  of  degrees  many  of  the  customs 
of  the  ancient  Mysteries  were  adopted.  The  third  or 
Master's  Degree,  based  upon  the  "Hiram"  legend, 
came  into  use  about  1723,  in  fact,  the  whole  degree 
system  was  the  work  of  the  Reconstructionists. 

Says  Dr.  Mackey,  "It  is  now  the  opinion  of  the 
best  scholars,  that  the  division  of  the  Masonic  system 
into  degrees  was  the  work  of  the  Revivalists  of  the 
beginning  of  the  i8th  century;  that  before  that  period 
there  was  but  one  degree,  or  rather  one  common  plat- 


The  Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  155 

form  of  ritualism ;  and  that  was  the  division  into  Mas- 
ters, Fellows,  and  Apprentices  was  simply  a  division 
of  ranks,  there  being  but  one  Initiation  for  all."  (Art. 
Degrees,  Mackey's  Encyclopedia.) 

W.  H.  Hughan  says,  "I  have  carefully  perused  all 
the  known  Masonic  manuscript,  from  the  fourteenth 
century  down  to  A.  D.  1717  (of  which  I  have  either 
seen  the  originals  or  have  certified  copies),  and  have 
not  been  able  to  find  any  reference  to  three  degrees." 
(Quoted  in  "Four  Old  Lodges,"  p.  40.) 

Mr.  Gould,  another  well  known  Masonic  writer, 
says  that  there  is  no  evidence  to  indicate  the  ex- 
istence of  the  "Second  degree,  as  now  practiced  until 
after  the  year  1717,  nor  of  the  Third  degree  until  the 
year  1735."  (Quoted  by  C.  F.  Francis  in  M.  P.  G.  M. 
Address,  Philadelphia,  1888,  from  Gould's  Concise 
History.} 

W.  J.  B.  MacLeod  Moore,  Supreme  Grand  Master 
"ad  Vitum"  of  the  Sovereign  Great  Priory  of  Canada, 
also  says,  "Historical  investigation  clearly  demon- 
strates that  in  1717  the  present  system  of  degrees  was 
entirely  unknown.  Originally  there  was  but  one  de- 
gree of  Initiation,  containing  all  the  elements  of  the 
degrees  now  practiced — the  names  of  'Entered  Ap- 
prentice,' 'Fellow  Craft'  and  'Master  Mason,'  being 
merely  the  designation  of  the  classes  of  workmen,  not 
of  degrees  or  steps— the  actual  Society  or  Fraternity 
being  composed  of  'Fellows ;'  for  in  the  oldest  records, 
constitutions  and  charges,  there  is  not  the  slightest  al- 
lusion to  these  separate  degrees,  nor  any  to  the  le- 
gend of  'Hiram  Abiff.'  The  four  old  Lodges  remain- 
ing in  London  in  1717  were  composed  entirely  of  'Pel- 


156  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

lows.' ':      (History   of  Freemasonry  and  Concordant 
Orders,  p.  753.) 

The  symbolism  and  legends  adopted  by  the  Re- 
visionists and  worked  into  the  degrees,  are  chiefly 
those  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries.  The  immediate  source 
from  which  this  material  was  derived  is  not  definitely 
known.  Many  have  thought  that  the  Reconstruction- 
ists  derived  it  from  the  Rosicrucians  and  Bacon's 
"New  Atlantis."  Mr.  Hughan  says  that  Wigston's 
books  on  "Bacon,  Shakespeare  and  the  Rosicrucians" 
and  "Francis  Bacon,  Poet,  Prophet  and  Philosopher," 
contain  Rosicrucian  and  Baconic  ideas,  which  influ- 
enced the  Masonic  Reconstructionists  of  1717.  He 
again  says  that  "The  New  Atlantis  seems  to  be,  and 
probably  is,  the  key  to  the  modern  ritual  of  Free- 
masonry." (Ibid,  p.  XXXI.} 

Masonry  is  thoroughly  Hermetic  and  Kabbalistic, 
and  the  framers  of  these  degrees  were  evidently  Kab- 
balistic and  Hermetic  philosophers,  and  well  ac- 
quainted with  all  these  works  and  other  mystic  writ- 
ings. 

Mr.  Singleton,  33d  degree,  Sec.  M.  W.  Grand 
Lodge,  District  of  Columbia,  says,  "The  Kabbalists 
were  the  inventors  of  the  rituals  of  the  original  de- 
grees, and  Kabbalistic  scholars  in  France  and  Ger- 
many have  multiplied  the  degrees  by  elaborating  upon 
the  'legends'  of  the  first  three.  .  .There  was  origin- 
ally in  Speculative  Masonry  but  one  ritual,  which  was 
very  simple;  out  of  that  one  trunk  have  grown  all 
the  branches,  and  the  fruit  from  these  bears  the  re- 
semblance of  Hermeticism  and  the  Kabbalah.  .  . 
The  Third  degree,  the  Royal  Arch,  and  the  Select  of 


The  Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  157 

27,  are  all  designed  to  imitate  the  ancient  Mysteries." 
(Ibid,  p.  105). 

Mr.  Moore,  already  quoted,  says,  "Some  of  these 
rites  would  appear  to  be  derived  from  the  Hermetic 
philosophy  of  the  German  school,  of  which  no  proof 
exists;  but  when  philosophers,  with  others,  joined  the 
Craft  Lodges  in  the  iyth  century,  they  may  have  in- 
troduced some  of  their  Hermetic  Rosicrucian  symbols 
into  Masonry."  (Ibid,  p.  759). 

Gen.  Pike,  the  eminent  American  Masonic  author- 
ity, says  that  to  "The  men  of  intelligence  who  be- 
longed to  one  of  the  lodges  in  1717,  is  to  be  ascribed 
the  authorship  of  the  third  degree  and  the  introduction 
of  Hermetic  and  other  symbols  into  Masonry;  they 
formed  the  three  degrees  for  the  purpose  of  communi- 
cating their  doctrines,  veiled  by  their  symbols  ex- 
cept to  those  fitted  to  receive  them,  and  to  give 
to  all  others  trite  moral  explanations  of  them  which 
they  could  receive."  The  plan  was  worked  out  by  these 
Reconstructionists  and  formally  approved  and  ac- 
cepted in  1723,  becoming  known  as  the  new  constitu- 
tion, and  is  the  Freemasonry  of  to-day.  (Anderson's 
Constitutions,  1723). 

In  1730  a  work  called  "Masonry  Dissected,"  ap- 
peared. This  purported  to  be  a  revelation  of  Free  and 
Accepted  Masonry.  As  the  result  of  this  many  spur- 
ious Lodges  were  formed.  The  Grand  Lodge  en- 
deavored to  thwart  this  by  introducing  certain  changes 
in  the  pass-words,  etc.  These  alterations  caused 
much  dissatisfaction,  and  many  withdrew  from  the 
regular  Lodges  and  formed  Lodges  of  their  own. 
These  seceders  finally  formed  an  independent  body  in 


158  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

1751,  and  assumed  the  name  "Ancient  York  Masons." 
They  claimed  to  have  preserved  the  old  forms — thus 
the  name  "Ancient,"  and  they  called  the  regular  Grand 
Lodge  the  "Moderns."  Both  Grand  Lodges  were 
prosperous  and  extended  their  influence  even  into 
America,  thus  producing  dissension  not  only  at  home 
but  abroad.  The  strife  between  these  two  Grand 
Lodges  continued  until  1813,  when  a  union  was  ef- 
fected under  the  title  of  the  United  Grand  Lodge.  A 
union  was  also  effected  in  America,  thus  ending  the 
schism,  and  to  constitute  a  regular  mode  of  work  a 
union  degree  was  adopted.  The  Grand  Lodge  of  Ire- 
land was  formed  in  1728,  and  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Scotland  in  1736. 

There  is  no  uniformity  in  the  degree  system  in 
the  different  countries.  To  the  three  symbolic  de- 
grees, others  have  been  added  from  time  to  time,  but 
there  has  been  no  uniformity  in  their  acceptance.  The 
Royal  Arch  appeared  about  1740,  but  by  whom  it  was 
founded  is  not  known,  though  it  is  clearly  of  English 
origin.  There  is  no  record  of  its  being  worked  in 
Chapters  until  1762,  when  a  chapter  of  the  Royal 
Arch  was  formed  at  York.  It  became  the  fourth  de- 
gree in  the  Ancient  Grand  Lodge  system.  The  "Mod- 
erns" did  not  recognize  this  degree  or  adopt  it  officially 
until  1767.  Upon  the  union  it  became  a  part  of  the 
English  Rite. 

The  Mark  degree  also  originated  about  this  time. 
It  was  formerly  conferred  in  England  under  Royal 
Arch  warrants,  but  later  was  governed  by  an  inde- 
pendent Grand  Lodge  of  its  own. 

The  Past  Master  degree  is  undoubtedly  one  of  evo- 
lution. It  was  originally  worked  in  Craft  Masonry, 


The   Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry  159 

being  conferred  on  the  newly  elected  Master  when 
about  to  be  installed.  This  degree  was  finally  adopted 
as  a  separate  degree  by  the  Royal  Arch  system,  and 
transferred  from  the  Lodge  to  the  Chapter.  Although 
its  origin  is  obscure,  it  was  conferred  during  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  i8th  century.  The  Most  Excellent  de- 
gree is  also  obscure  in  origin,  but  we  find  it  also  con- 
ferred in  the  latter  part  of  the  i8th  century.  In  many 
instances  the  higher  degrees  were  worked  under  Lodge 
warrants  by  those  interested,  without  interference  from 
the  Grand  Lodge.  The  brethren  concerned  came  to- 
gether and  conferred  the  higher  degrees.  They  were 
at  first  purely  side  degrees,  but  after  a  time  they  be- 
came organized  independently.  Royal  Arch  Masonry 
separated  from  Blue  Lodge  Masonry,  organized  itself 
and  adopted  or  invented  the  four  degrees  just  con- 
sidered, and  began  an  independent  existence.  In  the 
same  way  the  Royal  and  Select  Masters  separated 
themselves  from  the  Lodge  of  Perfection  and  formed 
Councils,  and  finally  organized  Grand  Councils  and 
became  also  independent. 

As  already  stated,  there  is  no  uniformity  in  the 
different  countries  concerning  these  higher  degrees. 
The  system  in  England  is  unknown  in  France  and 
Germany.  The  American  system,  known  as  the  York 
Rite,  consists  of  the  Craft  degrees  or  Blue  Lodge, 
the  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  the  Council  and  the  Knights 
Templars,  and  is  peculiar  to  this  country.  It  was 
formulated  by  Thomas  Smith  Webb,  who,  with  his 
associates  constructed,  out  of  the  conglomeration  of 
the  work  of  the  "Ancients"  and  "Moderns"  that  had 
previously  been  established  in  this  country,  a  new 
work,  which  Cross  and  others  afterwards  embellished. 


160  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Webb  tried  to  show  that  he  had  adopted  the  true  work 
of  the  Ancient  York  Masons,  but  it  is  well  known  that 
the  claim  is  without  foundation. 

In  concluding  this  chapter  we  will  give  in  order 
the  various  degrees  that  constitute  the  standard  Ma- 
sonic work  in  this  country. 

They  are  the  Symbolic  degrees  of  the  Blue  Lodge — 
Entered  Apprentice,  Fellow  Craft  and  Master  Mason. 

The  Capitular  degrees  of  the  Royal  Arch  Chapter — 
Mark  Master,  Past  Master,  Most  Excellent  Master 
and  the  Royal  Arch. 

The  Cryptic  degrees  of  the  Council — Royal  Master, 
Select  Master  and  Super-Excellent  Master. 

The  Chivalric  degrees  of  the  Commandry  of 
Knights  Templars — Knight  of  the  Red  Cross,  Knight 
Templar  and  Knight  of  Malta,  and 

The  Philosophic  degrees  of  the  Scottish  Rite  sys- 
tem, divided  into — a  Lodge  of  Perfection,  a  Council 
Princes  of  Jerusalem,  a  Chapter  of  Rose  Croix,  a 
Council  of  Kadosh,  a  Consistory  and  the  Supreme 
Council. 

The  history  of  the  Knights  Templars  will  be  con- 
sidered in  our  next  lecture,  together  with  that  of  the 
Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite. 


LECTURE  IX. 

THE     ORIGIN     AND     HISTORY     OF     THE 
KNIGHTS   TEMPLARS   AND   THE   AN- 
CIENT AND  ACCEPTED  SCOTTISH 
RITE. 

We  will  first  consider  the  Military  Order  of  the 
Knights  Templars  of  the  Crusades.  This  organization 
was  originally  called  the  Order  of  the  Temple,  and 
was  founded  in  1118-1119  A.  D.,  by  nine  Benedictine 
Monks,  who  resided  in  Monasteries  at  Jerusalem.  The 
object  of  the  Order  was  the  defense  of  the  Holy  Sep- 
ulcher  and  the  protection  of  the  Christian  pilgrims 
who  visited  the  sacred  shrine.  The  holy  place  had 
been  desecrated  and  the  Christians  persecuted  by 
both  Saracen  and  Turk.  The  Christian  Monks  joined 
the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  in  guarding  the  approach 
to  the  city,  and  lived  under  the  Benedictine  rule,  fight- 
ing for  the  cause  of  the  Church.  The  Patriarch  as- 
signed them  quarters  in  the  palace  of  the  Latin  Kings 
of  Jerusalem,  sometimes  called  Solomon's  Temple, 
and  it  was  this  that  gave  the  Templar  name  to  the 
Order. 

The  new  Order  rendered  valiant  service  to  the  pil- 
grims and  others  in  need;  their  fame  spread  rapidly 
and  their  ranks  as  rapidly  increased  by  recruits  from 
the  religious  fraternities  in  Europe,  members  of  the 
French  nobility,  and  then  from  all  classes  of  society. 


162  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

These  recruits  were  organized  by  skillful  military 
leaders  and  before  long  became  renowned  in  the  art  of 
war.  The  Order  was  strictly  a  religious  body  and 
was  composed  of  three  classes, — Knights,  Chaplains 
and  Serving  Brothers.  A  council  was  held  in  1128 
to  determine  the  statutes  of  the  Order.  Rules  of  dis- 
cipline and  obligations  numbering  seventy-two  were 
adopted.  At  a  later  date  they  were  elaborated  into  a 
more  complete  ritual. 

In  our  last  lecture  we  mentioned  that  the  early 
Templars  possessed  a  secret  doctrine.  The  early 
Freemasons  also  taught  in  secret,  making  it  difficult 
to  trace  one  without  mentioning  the  other.  I  need 
here  only  to  recall  that  the  secret  science  had  passed 
along  from  age  to  age,  until  received  by  the  Knights 
Templars.  According  to  the  record  of  the  German 
Lodges  the  Templars  received  their  mystic  teaching 
from  certain  Syriac  Christians,  but  of  what  particular 
doctrine,  cult  or  order  they  do  not  state.  Perhaps 
they  were  members  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  John, 
which,  according  to  the  Cologne  Record,  possessed  a 
mystic  teaching  or  perhaps  they  were  members  of  the 
Johannian  Christians;  again,  perhaps  these  two  socie- 
ties may  have  been  of  the  same  or  a  very  similar  or- 
der. The  Johannites  were  also  called  "Christians  of 
the  East."  There  is  a  tradition  that  traces  the  secret 
teaching  of  the  Templars  to  the  Johannites,  so  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  the  Syriac  Christians  were 
members  of  this  Brotherhood. 

This  tradition,  as  given  by  Gen.  Pike,  states  that 
"There  existed  at  that  period  in  the  East  a  sect  of 
Johannite  Christians,  who  claimed  to  be  the  only  true 
Initiates  into  the  real  Mysteries  of  the  religion  of  the 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  153 

Savior.  They  pretended  to  know  the  real  history  of 
Jesus  the  Anointed,  and,  adopting  in  part  the  Jewish 
traditions  and  the  tales  of  the  Talmud,  they  held  that 
the  facts  recounted  in  the  Evangels  are  but  allegories. 
.  .  .  The  Johannites  ascribe  to  St.  John  the  foun- 
dation of  their  Secret  Church,  and  the  Grand  Pontiffs 
of  the  Sect  assumed  the  title  of  Christos,  Anointed  or 
Consecrated,  and  claimed  to  have  succeeded  one  an- 
other from  St.  John  by  an  uninterrupted  succession 
of  pontifical  powers.  He  who,  at  the  period  of  the 
foundation  of  the  Order  of  the  Temple,  claimed  these 
imaginary  prerogatives,  was  named  Theoclet."  (Mor- 
als and  Dogma,  Pike,  p.  816.)  Theoclet  was  ac- 
quainted with  Hugh  de  Payens,  the  founder  of  the 
Order  of  the  Temple,  and  initiated  him  into  the  Jo- 
hannian  Mysteries  and  appointed  him  his  successor. 

Now  if  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  John  and  the  Jo- 
hannian  Christians  are  the  same,  then  both  the  Tem- 
plars and  the  Freemasons  received  their  secret  doc- 
trine from  the  same  order.  It  is  claimed  by  some, 
however,  that  the  mystic  teaching  passed  to  the  Ma- 
sons from  the  Templars.  This  may  or  may  not  have 
been  the  case,  but  that  they  were  closely  allied  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  upon  the  destruction  of  the  old 
Templar  Order  many  of  its  members  took  refuge  with 
the  Freemasons. 

The  secret  statutes  of  the  Templars  were  preserved, 
not  only  by  oral  tradition,  but  were  also  written,  in 
part  at  least.  Dr.  Prutz  says,  "Gervais  de  Beauvias 
saw  at  one  of  the  heads  of  the  Orders  a  little  book  with 
the  Statutes  of  the  Order  of  1128,  which  was  shown 
without  thinking,  and  he  knew  that  the  same  man  had 
also  possessed  another  book  about  which  he  was  very 


164  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

mysterious  and  which  he  'would  not  show  any  one 
for  all  the  world.' '  ( Geheimelehre  des  Templherren 
Or  dens,  p.  45.)  W.  J.  MacLeod  Moore,  33rd  degree, 
in  speaking  of  the  Temple  Order,  says,  "Their  Rulers 
arrogated  to  themselves  a  higher  degree  of  knowledge 
in  all  things,  and  taught  in  their  secret  conclaves, 
where  none  but  the  most  trusted  members  were  ad- 
mitted, that  the  Papal  power  was  a  false  and  dan- 
gerous assumption  of  authority  over  the  minds  and 
consciences  of  men,  and  that  very  many  of  the  dogmas 
of  Rome  were  gross  and  childish  superstitions.  They 
also  cultivated  and  asserted  more  liberal  views  of 
faith  and  religion  than  were  current  at  the  time,  be- 
ing well  versed  in  the  Mysteries,  legends,  learning 
and  traditions  of  the  peoples  they  had  come  in 
contact  with  in  the  East."  (History  of  Freemasonry 
and  Concordant  Orders,  p.  765.) 

The  evidence  that  the  early  Templar  Order  pos- 
sessed a  secret  doctrine  being  conclusive,  we  will 
now  return  to  the  historical  development. 

The  Order  spread  rapidly  and  was  soon  established 
in  every  kingdom  of  Latin  Christendom.  The  part 
which  the  Templars  took  in  the  Crusades  is  too  well 
known  to  need  reiteration,  for  from  that  time  on  the 
history  of  the  Templars  was  the  history  of  the  Cru- 
sades. 

When  the  Crusades  terminated  the  Templars  re- 
turned to  their  numerous  Preceptories  in  Europe,  as 
the  Order  was  of  no  further  use  as  a  military  body. 
Their  great  wealth  and  power  aroused  the  jealously 
of  Philip  IV.  of  France,  who  coveted  the  possessions  of 
the  Order,  and  the  Pope  distrusted  its  fidelity  to  the 
Papacy.  A  bitter  hatred  was  engendered  by  many 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  165 

acts  of  insubordination  against  the  king's  arbitrary 
authority,  and  he  set  about  to  work  their  de- 
struction; to  this  end  calumnies  of  every  description 
were  circulated,  they  were  charged  with  heresy  and 
all  manner  of  crimes.  Philip  enlisted  the  support  of 
Pope  Clement  V.,  who  owed  his  papal  tiara  to  the 
King's  gold  or  influence,  and  the  overthrow  was 
brought  about.  The  work  of  suppression  was  too  heart- 
less to  recite.  Many  were  cast  into  prison,  and  tor- 
tured to  confess  crimes  of  which  they  were  ignorant, 
and  finally  were  burned  to  death  upon  fagots.  The 
Grand  Master  De  Molai  was  seized  while  in  Paris 
by  special  invitation  of  Pope  Clement,  cast  into  prison, 
where  he  was  kept  seven  years,  and  at  last  taken  out 
and  burned  at  the  stake.  On  May  2,  1312,  Clement 
issued  his  famous  Bull  transferring  the  estates  of  the 
Templars,  except  those  in  Spain  and  Portugal,  to  the 
Knights  of  St.  John. 

Thus  perished  the  Order  of  the  Temple.  What 
became  of  the  thousands  of  Templars  upon  the  sup- 
pression of  the  Order  is  not  definitely  known.  Some 
may  have  joined  the  Order  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem, 
upon  which  the  confiscated  lands  of  the  Templars  had 
been  conferred,  and  some,  as  already  intimated,  may 
have  taken  refuge  in  the  Guilds  of  Stone  Masons. 

Many  reject  this  latter  theory  as  being  without 
"historic  foundation,"  but  W.  S.  Perry,  32nd  degree, 
says  regarding  this,  "We  do  not  question  this  state- 
ment as  it  stands.  History  fails  to  record  much  that 
actually  occurs,  much  that  subsequent  ages  would 
gladly  know.  We  see  no  reason,  however,  for  the 
assertion,  so  often  made  of  late  years,  that  any  con- 
nection between  a  Chivalric  Order,  such  as  the 


166  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Knights  Templars,  and  a  fraternity  of  Operative  Ma- 
sons, such  as  certainly  existed  in  Mediaeval  times, 
is  out  of  the  range  of  possibility."  (Ibid,  p.  140.)  Mr. 
Perry  then  goes  on  to  argue  that  the  Guilds  were 
known  and  even  employed  by  the  Knights  Templars 
in  the  construction  of  their  Churches,  Preceptories, 
and  strongholds,  all  over  Europe  and  the  Holy  Land, 
and  when  they  were  despoiled  they  would  naturally 
seek  protection  among  the  body  with  which  they  had 
already  a  certain  connection. 

Henry  E.  Manning,  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  West- 
minster, says,  "As  far  back  as  the  I2th  century,  the 
Lodges  of  the  Guild  enjoyed  the  special  protection 
of  the  Knights  Templars.  It  is  easy  in  this  way  to 
understand  how  the  symbolical  allusion  to  Solomon  and 
His  Temple  might  have  passed  from  the  Knights  into 
the  Masonic  formulary.  In  this  way,  too,  might  be 
explained  how,  after  the  suppression  of  the  Order  of 
the  Temple,  some  of  the  recalcitrant  Knights,  main- 
taining their  influence  over  the  Freemasons,  would  be 
able  to  pervert  what  hitherto  had  been  a  harmless 
ceremony  into  an  elaborate  ritual  that  should  impart 
some  of  the  errors  of  the  Templars  to  the  Initiated." 
(Ibid,  p.  144.) 

This  Catholic  writer  may  know  whereof  he  speaks, 
as  it  is  generally  supposed  that  Catholic  scholars  have 
access  to  certain  records  not  accessible  to  others, 
therefore,  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  old  Order 
continued  to  exist  within  the  Guilds  of  Stone  Masons. 
It  is  also  said  that  when  the  time  came  that  they  could 
safely  proclaim  the  continuance  of  their  Order,  they 
instituted  the  Rite  of  Strict  Observance  and  proved 
iheir  gratitude  for  the  protection  afforded  by  receiv- 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  167 

ing  members  only  from  the  ranks  of  Freemasonry. 

But  it  is  also  not  unlikely,  as  pointed  out  by  Mr. 
Moore,  that  "Small  organizations  were  kept  up  in 
many  places,  and  the  hope  cherished  that  it  would 
be  possible  to  revive  the  Order.  A  great  and  exten- 
sive organization  could  not  wholly  have  lost  its  vital- 
ity and  died  out  without  a  struggle."  (Ibid,  p.  768.) 
It  is  related  of  the  Chief  of  the  doomed  Order  that 
before  his  execution  he  instituted  what  afterward 
came  to  be  called  Occult,  Hermetic,  or  Scottish  Mason- 
ry ;  that  the  Order,  while  seeming  to  die,  nevertheless 
lived  under  other  names,  and  was  revealed  to  those 
who  proved  themselves  worthy  to  be  trusted.  Ac- 
cording to  these  traditions  the  real  lineal  descendants 
of  the  Old  Chivalric  Orders  are  the  Scottish  Rite  and 
the  Strict  Observance. 

Let  us  consider  for  a  moment  this  Rite  of  the  Strict 
Observance. 

It  is  common  with  a  certain  class  of  Masonic  writ- 
ers to  pronounce  the  leading  spirits  of  the  Strict  Ob- 
servance, dupes  and  charlatans.  But  the  long  list  of 
scholars,  nobles,  and  officers  of  high  standing  who 
have  belonged  to  this  Order  must  preclude  any  such 
classification.  The  reason  for  such  stigmatization  is 
that  the  members  were  students  of  Mysticism,  and 
believed  that  there  is  hidden  in  Masonry  an  occult  and 
mystic  tradition  which  is  the  true  history  of  spiritual 
evolution.  Many  of  these  members  of  the  Strict  Ob- 
servance also  belonged  to  the  Rosicrucians  and  other 
allied  bodies,  and  all  were  seeking  the  old  "Strait 
Gate"  and  "Narrow  Path"  that  leads  to  Wisdom. 

One  of  the  most  striking  personages  of  this  period 
is  Charles  Gotthelf,  a  nobleman,  born  in  1722.  "He 


158  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

entered  the  Masonic  Order  in  1742,  when  at  Frank- 
fort-on-Main.  In  the  next  year  he  is  said  to  have 
established  a  Lodge  at  Paris,  and  while  staying  with 
the  French  Army  he  became  acquainted  with  the 
heads  of  a  Rite  which  pretended  to  be,  in  its  higher 
degrees,  the  continuation  of  the  famous  Order  of 
Knights  Templars.  According  to  his  repeated  decla- 
rations, maintained  even  on  his  death  bed,  he  was  re- 
ceived into  this  Order,  in  Paris,  by  Lord  Kilmarnock, 
Grand  Master  of  Scotland,  a  Jacobite  nobleman,  on 
which  occasion  Lord  Clifford  acted  as  Prior.  He 
was  presented  to  a  very  high  member  of  the  Order,  a 
mysterious  personage  called  only  'the  Knight  of  the 
Red  Feather.'  Perhaps  this  was  Prince  Charles  Ed- 
ward himself.  Von  Hund  supposed  him  to  be  the 
Supreme  Grand  Master  of  the  Order,  and  was  ap- 
pointed by  him  coadjutor  of  the  Seventh  Province  of 
the  Order  (Germania  Inferior).  Hund  visited  Scot- 
land also,  where  he  was  bidden  to  raise  the  Order  in 
Germany,  together  with  the  then  Master  of  the  Sev- 
enth Province,  de  Marschall,  whom  he  always  consid- 
ered his  predecessor.  Marschall  had  founded  Lodges 
at  Altenburg  and  Naumburg,  but  found  only  in  the 
latter  men  worthy  of  being  led  further,  viz.,  to  be  re- 
ceived into  the  Templar  degrees."  ( This  is  a  summary 
by  Cooper-Oakley  in  "Traces  of  a  Hidden  Tradition" 
of  an  article  in  the  "Transactions  of  Logge  Quator  Co- 
ronati"  No.  2076.) 

Reghellini  says  of  Von  Hund:  "In  1756  the  wars 
had  caused  the  Prussian  (Masonic)  Lodges  to  be 
abandoned.  Baron  de  Hund,  who  had  received  the 
High  Templar's  Degree  in  the  Chapter  of  Clermont 
at  Paris,  on  returning  to  Berlin  declared  that  he  had 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  169 

been  raised  to  the  dignity  of  Grand-Master  of  the 
Templars  by  M.  Marschall,  who  called  himself  the 
successor  of  the  G-'-G-'-  Master  Templars  by  uninter- 
rupted transmission  from  the  time  of  Jacques  de 
Molai;  that  Marschall  on  his  death-bed  had  delegated 
this  high  dignity  to  him,  and  had  declared  him  his 
successor;  transmitting  to  him  all  his  powers  and 
dignities.  He  did  not  omit  to  give  Hund  a  list 
of  all  the  names  of  the  Templar  Grand  Mas- 
ters, which  must  therefore  have  been  a  curi- 
ous contrast  to  the  list  of  the  Order  of  the  Temple 
of  Paris.  Hund  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
German  reformers;  he  persuaded  them  that  his  Rite 
would  restore  Freemasonry  to  its  ancient  brilliancy 
and  its  former  splendor.  .  .  His  principles  were 
altogether  philosophical.  .  .  He  maintains  that 
these  Pontiffs  are  the  only  Priests  of  the  True  Light, 
the  Worshipers  of  God,  and  the  disciples  of  the  pure 
doctrines  of  Jesus  and  of  John."  ("Traces  of  a  Hid- 
den Tradition,"  82.) 

In  this  connection  we  need  to  note  one  Johann  Au- 
gustus Starck,  a  teacher  of  Oriental  languages  and  a 
student  of  theology  and  philosophy.  He  had  held 
many  public  positions,  among  others  that  of  inter- 
preter of  Oriental  manuscript  at  the  Royal  Library  in 
Paris.  Mrs.  Cooper-Oakley  says,  "Starck  held  that 
the  mystic  traditions  of  the  Knights  Templars,  de- 
rived by  them  from  those  still  older  fraternities  with 
whom  they  had  come  in  contact  in  the  East,  were  pre- 
served among  the  clericals  of  that  Order  who  had 
cherished  their  unbroken  continuity  until  his  days,  and 
he  announced  that  he  was  in  communication  with 
certain  Superiors,  or  Chiefs  of  the  Order."  (Ibid, 
P.  840 


170  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

R.  F.  Gould,  a  well  known  English  authority,  writ- 
ing on  the  Strict  Observance,  says,  "On  February 
1 7th,  1767,  some  Masons,  chief  amongst  whom  may 
be  mentioned  Von  Vegesack,  Von  Bohnen  and  Stark, 
founded  at  Wismar  the  Lodge  of  the  'Three  Lions,' 
and  attached  thereto  a  Scots  Lodge,  'Gustavus  of  the 
Golden  Hammer.'  Shortly  afterward  they  added  a 
hitherto  unknown  body,  a  Clerical  Chapter.  To 
these  brethren  we  are  indebted  for  the  historical  fic- 
tion [sic]  that  the  Knights  Templars  were  divided 
into  military  and  sacerdotal  members;  that  the  latter 
possessed  all  the  secrets  and  mystic  learning  of  the 
Order;  and  that  they  had  preserved  a  continuous  ex- 
istence down '  to  the  eighteenth  century.  Stark 
claimed  to  be  the  emissary  of  these  Clerical  Templars, 
asserted  their  and  his  own  superiority  over  the 
Secular  Knights,  and  offered,  on  his  claims  being  ac- 
knowledged, to  impart  their  valuable  secrets  to  Von 
Hund  and  his  disciples.  Stark  (1741-1816)  was  a 
student  of  Gottingen,  and  a  very  learned  man,  an  Ori- 
ental linguist  of  great  attainments,  and  had  held  sci- 
entific appointments  in  St.  Petersburg,  Paris,  Wismar 
and  elsewhere."  (History  of  Freemasonry,  Gould,  V ., 
p.  104.) 

Gould  regards  Stark  as  an  impostor,  but  like  many 
other  materialistic  critics  who  reject  the  tradition,  he 
offers  no  proof  of  its  falsity. 

In  reply  to  the  criticism  that  the  Knights  Templars 
could  not  have  continued  to  exist  for  438  years  un- 
known to  the  outside  world,  Stark  says,  "If  he  [Dr. 
Biester]  had  been  somewhat  better  acquainted  with 
ecclesiastical  history,  he  would  have  found  not  only 
one,  but  several  religious  bodies,  which  under  far  more 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  171 

violent  opposition  and  persecution  than  those  en- 
dured by  the  Knights  Templars,  have  secretly  con- 
tinued to  exist  for  a  longer  period  than  four  hundred 
and  fifty  years."  (Traces  of  a  Hidden  Tradition  in 
Masonry,  p.  86.) 

This  view  is  upheld  by  C.  W.  King,  a  modern  writer 
of  note,  who,  speaking  of  the  Templars,  says,  "Con- 
sidering how  widely  the  Order  has  spread.  .  .  it 
would  be  a  mere  absurdity  to  believe  that  all  its  tra- 
ditions were  swept  away  at  one  stroke  by  the  sup- 
pression of  the  Templars  in  the  year  1307."  (The 
Gnostics  and  Their  Remains,  King,  p.  399.) 

Stark  shows  the  large  number  of  scholars  in  his  day 
who  accepted  the  tradition.  Can  it  be  that  all  these 
were  dupes  and  charlatans? 

We  must  now  pass  to  a  brief  consideration  of  the 
Order  itself.  Ragon,  a  noted  Masonic  writer,  in 
speaking  of  the  Strict  Observance,  says  that  in  Ger- 
many a  body  was  formed,  "Approaching  more  nearly 
to  the  true  institution  than  the  ordinary  Freemasons. 
The  study  of  the  Kabbalah,  of  the  Philosophers'  Stone 
and  of  Necromancy  or  the  invocation  of  spirits,  occu- 
pied the— \  chiefly,  because  according  to  them  all  these 
sciences  formed  the  system  and  the  object  and  end  of 
the  ancient  mysteries  of  which  Freemasonry  is  the 
sequel."  (Quoted  from  Orthodoxie  Maconnique,  Ra- 
gon, p.  210,  by  Mr.  Cooper-Oakley  in  Hidden  Tradi- 
tion, p.  88.) 

It  was  the  higher  grades  of  the  Strict  Observance 
that  took  up  the  study  of  Alchemy,  etc.,  there  being, 
according  to  our  author  just  quoted,  seven  grades  in- 
to which  the  system  wasi  divided. 


172  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Much  more  might  be  said,  but  this  is  sufficient  to 
show  that  in  the  early  days  of  the  Modern  Knights 
Templars  there  were  many  who  recognized  the  exist- 
ence of  the  secret  doctrine. 

As  to  the  origin  of  the  Knights  Templars  of  to-day, 
and  their  connection  with  Freemasonry,  various  theo- 
ries have  been  proposed.  Some  contend  that  the 
movement  was  the  result  of  the  numerous  works  of 
the  1 7th  and  i8th  centuries  on  occult  philosophy,  and 
that  upon  the  dispersion  of  the  Order  of  St.  John  and 
the  Templars  of  Scotland,  the  secret  ceremonies  and 
principles  were  obtained  and  promulgated,  which  di- 
rectly led  to  the  revival  of  the  Chivalric  Orders  under 
the  impression  that  they  were  of  Masonic  origin. 
Others  hold  that  the  present  Order  originated  from 
the  High  Grades  of  Freemasonry,  the  Hermetic,  or 
Scottish  system,  and  was  grafted  on  to  Freemasonry 
by  Baron  Hund  in  1754.  Few,  if  any,  would  main- 
tain to-day  that  the  present  organization  of  Knights 
Templars  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  old  Chivalric 
Order.  The  Knights  Templars  of  the  present,  in 
common  with  Masons  in  general,  make  no  claim  to 
mystic  knowledge,  and  but  few  in  the  Order  even 
know  that  such  a  Wisdom-science  ever  existed. 

The  degrees  of  the  American  system  of  the 
Knights  Templars  are  the  Knight  of  the  Red  Cross, 
Knight  Templar,  and  Knight  of  Malta.  The  Red 
Cross  is  not  embraced  in  the  English,  Continental  or 
Canadian  systems.  The  Templar  degrees  have  been 
used  in  connection  with  Freemasonry  for  about  a  cen- 
tury. Says  W.  J.  B.  MacLeod  Moore,  "Although  the 
Templar  degrees  have  been  in  connection  with  Free- 
masonry for  about  a  century  past,  it  does  not  follow 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  173 

that  they  previously  had  any  such  connection.  It  was 
only  about  that  time,  or  a  few  years  earlier,  that  the 
error  was  made  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  of  add- 
ing the  chivalric  Templar  Order  to  the  Masonic  sys- 
tems." (History  of  Freemasonry  and  Concordant 
Orders,  p.  744.)  The  Templar  degrees,  like  the  other 
side  degrees,  were  first  conferred  under  Blue  Lodge 
Warrants,  which  simply  means  that  Masons  possess- 
ing those  degrees  came  together  in  their  Lodges  and 
worked  them.  In  the  course  of  time  Chapters  and 
Encampments  were  organized,  and  Templarism  took 
on  a  more  independent  and  permanent  form. 

We  believe  with  Mr.  Moore  that  it  was  an  error  to 
merge  the  Templar  degrees  into  the  Masonic  system. 
In  England  the  Templar  system  has  always  been  kept 
separate  from  the  Craft  degrees.  The  Royal  Arch  is 
there  considered  the  climax  of  Freemasonry.  There 
is  also  a  difference  due  to  the  fact  that  the  English 
degrees  are  based  upon  the  old  Templar  ceremonies, 
while  the  American  system  is  based  upon  the  craft 
degrees.  This  makes  the  American  system  broader 
and  more  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  Freemasonry, 
although  it  is  still  partly  sectarian.  This  sectarianism 
is  not  in  accord  with  the  ancient  landmarks  and  genius 
of  Masonry.  If  we  have  the  right  to  Christianize 
Masonry,  so  have  Moslems,  Buddhists,  and  all  other 
religious  sects,  a  right  to  transform  it  to  fit  their 
creeds ;  such  transformations  and  limitations  deprive 
Masonry  of  its  true  spirit  and  universal  character, 
and  should  such  a  process  become  general  Masonry 
itself  would  soon  be  destroyed. 

The  Templar  system  should  have  stood  alone  on  its 
own  merits  and  principles.  It  should  have  been  left 


174  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

as  a  series  of  side  degrees  for  Masons  professing 
Christian  principles.  The  very  name  "Masonic  Tem- 
plarism''  is  a  .misnomer — the  sectarian  character  of 
the  one  is  not  in  accord  with  the  universal  character 
of  the  other.  This  declaration  does  not  cast  any  re- 
flection upon  the  Templar  degrees;  in  fact,  we  con- 
sider them  among  the  best  and  most  inspiring  of  the 
American  system;  however,  we  believe  they  should 
have  remained  separated  from  a  non-sectarian  body. 
"It  is  a  mistake,"  to  again  quote  Mr.  Moore,  "to  con- 
nect Templarism  with  Freemasonry." 

Frederic  Speed,  33rd  degree  Past  R.  E.  Grand 
Commander,  Miss.,  is  of  the  same  opinion.  He  says, 
"If,  then,  anywhere  the  door  of  any  degree  is  closed 
against  him  who  believes  in  one  God  and  the  soul's 
immortality,  on  account  of  other  tenets  of  his  faith, 
that  degree  is  not  Freemasonry.  That  the  Templar 
degrees  [properly]  form  no  part  of  Masonry,  we  have 
the  declaration  of  the  reputed  author  of  the  American 
Rituals,  Thomas  Smith  Webb,  who,  in  1812,  and  sev- 
eral subsequent  editions  of  his  'Freemason's  Monitor,' 
says,  'Although  the  several  orders  of  Knighthood  are 
conferred  both  in  Europe  and  America,  reputedly  under 
the  sanction  of  Masonic  assemblies,'  they  'compose  no 
part  of  the  system  of  Freemasonry.'  "  He  tells  us 
that  in  America  they  are  conferred  as  "honorary  de- 
grees." Mr.  Speed  continues,  "It  is  time  for  intelli- 
gent Masons  to  divest  themselves  of  the  superlatively 
ridiculous  and  often  exploded  idea  that  there  is  any 
connection  between  what  we  now  know  as  Templar- 
ism  and  the  Fraternity  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
except  that  which  is  found  in  the  restriction  of  its 
membership  to  those  who  have  first  received  the  sev- 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.  A.  S.  R.  175 

eral  degrees  of  Masonry.  .  .  It  is  entirely  com- 
patible with  all  the  obligations  of  Masonry  that  a 
Mason  should  be  a  Templar,  and  we  do  not  derogate 
from  our  standing  as  Masons,  when  we  take  upon  our- 
selves the  additional  vows  of  the  Knights  Templars; 
but  this  does  not  make  Templarism  Masonry,  nor  do 
we  add  anything;  to  the  dignity  and  high  character  of 
the  Order  by  making  the  assertion  that  it  is."  (Ibid, 
P-  735-) 

ANCIENT  AND  ACCEPTED  SCOTTISH   RITE. 

The  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite  or  Scot- 
tish Masonry  did  not  originate  in  Scotland,  as  its 
name  might  lead  one  to  suppose.  It  was  derived  from 
a  body  in  France,  formerly  known  as  "The  Emperors 
of  the  East  and  West,"  who  organized  in  1758,  in 
Paris,  a  Rite  called  "The  Rite  of  Perfection,"  con- 
sisting of  twenty-five  degrees,  to  which  eight  or  more 
were  subsequently  added. 

The  immediate  source  from  which  the  French  Ma- 
sons derived  these  Rites  is  unknown,  but  it  is  held  by 
some  that  they  are  the  lineal  descendants  of  the  an- 
cient Order  of  the  Temple.  Before  the  death  of 
Grand  Master  Jacques  de  Molai,  and  while  he  was  in 
prison  awaiting  execution,  he  instituted  several  Metro- 
politan Lodges,  one  of  which  was  at  Paris,  and  it  was 
from  this  source  that  Scottish  Masonry  was  derived. 
Gen.  Pike,  the  great  authority  on  the  Scottish  Rite, 
accepts  this  view.  The  name  itself  is  supposed  to 
have  come  from  a  number  of  Scottish  Masons  who 
were  in  France  at  the  time  of  the  organization. 

A  Grand  Lodge  was  formed  at  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  in  1783,  a  Supreme  Council,  33rd  degree,  in 


176  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

1801 ;  and  the  Rite  has  been  called  by  its  present  name, 
Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  since  that  date. 

The  Rite  is  founded  on  the  Symbolic  degrees,  and 
is  conferred  only  on  Master  Masons.  Its  degrees  be- 
gin with  the  4th  and  extend  to  the  33rd.  They  are 
conferred  in  subordinate  bodies  as  follows:  The 
Lodge  of  Perfection — 4th  to  I4th  inclusive;  the  Coun- 
cil of  Princes  of  Jerusalem — i5th  and  i6th;  the  Chap- 
ter of  Rose  Croix — I7th  and  i8th;  the  Consistory  of 
Sublime  Princes  of  the  Royal  Secret — iQth  to  32nd 
except  in  the  Southern  Jurisdiction  where  the  iQth.  to 
3Oth.  degrees  constitute  a  Council  of  Kadosh  and  their 
Consistory  begins  with  the  3ist.  degree;  and  the  Su- 
preme Council,  whose  officers  are  Active  33rd.  de- 
gree Masons.  There  is  also  an  Honorary  33rd.  degree 
conferred  by  the  Supreme  Council  as  a  merit  for  dis- 
tinguished service  in  the  Fraternity. 

The  moral  teaching  of  these  degrees  is  exemplary 
and  the  dramatic  effect  of  the  work  is  beyond  com- 
parison. We  have  neither  time  nor  space  to  consider 
the  system  in  detail,  but  there  are  certain  teachings 
connected  with  some  of  the  degrees  to  which  your 
special  attention  is  directed.  We  refer  to  those 
which,  by  some,  are  thought  to  be  sectarian  in  charac- 
ter, and  therefore  opposed  to  the  original  plan  of  the 
Reconstructionists— to  lay  a  broad  foundation  for  the 
ceremonies  which  would  admit  men  of  all  religions. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  such  a  cosmopolitan  basis 
could  not  have  been  maintained. 

We  need  to  remember,  however,  that  Masonry  is 
symbolic  and  the  legends,  even  of  the  so-called  sec- 
tarian degrees,  are  symbols  used  to  set  forth  an  inner 
truth,  and  are  not  in  themselves  necessarily  sectarian, 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.A.S.R.  177 

even  when  appropriated  by  a  special  religion,  for  they 
are  essentially  universal,  and  belong  to  general  re- 
ligion. 

To  illustrate  more  fully,  Dr.  Mackey,  in  speaking 
of  the  Cryptic  degrees,  which  are  based  upon  the  le- 
gend of  the  Sacred  Vault,  says,  "To  support  this  le- 
gend there  is  no  historic  evidence  and  no  authority 
except  that  of  the  Talmudic  writers.  It  is  clearly  a 
mythical  symbol,  and  as  such  we  must  accept  it. 
.  .  .  Like  every  other  myth  and  allegory  of  Ma- 
sonry, the  historical  relation  may  be  true,  or  it  may 
be  false ;  it  may  be  founded  on  fact,  or  be  the  inven- 
tion of  imagination;  the  lesson  is  still  there,  and  the 
symbolism  teaches  it,  exclusive  of  the  history."  (En- 
cyclopedia of  Freemasonry,  p.  852.) 

Gen.  Pike  also  emphasizes  this  principle.  In  speak- 
ing of  the  legend  upon  which  the  degree  of  the  Royal 
Arch  is  based,  he  says,  "It  is  of  but  little  importance 
whether  it  is  in  anywise  historical.  For  its  value  con- 
sists in  the  lessons  which  it  inculcates,  and  the  duties 
which  it  prescribes  to  those  who  receive  it.  The  par- 
ables and  allegories  of  the  Scriptures  are  not  less  valu- 
able than  history.  Nay,  they  are  more  so,  because 
ancient  history  is  little  instructive,  and  truths  are  con- 
cealed in  and  symbolized  by  the  legend  and  the  Myth." 
(Morals  and  Dogma,  p.  210.) 

We  should  bear  this  fact  in  mind  when  we  con- 
sider the  degrees  of  the  Scottish  Rite,  especially  that 
of  the  Rose  Croix.  The  legend  upon  which  this  de- 
gree is  based  is  purely  symbolical,  and  as  such  con- 
veys a  grand  truth.  Some,  however,  have  thought 
that  the  doctrine  of  this  degree  excluded  the  non- 
Christian,  which  shows  how  the  purpose  of  Masonry 
has  been  misunderstood. 


178  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Gen.  Pike,  in  speaking  of  the  degree,  says,  "No 
Mason  has  the  right  to  interpret  the  symbols  of  this 
degree  for  another,  or  to  refuse  him  its  mysteries,  if 
he  will  not  take  them  with  the  explanation  and  com- 
mentary superadded."  Again  he  says,  "Each  of  us 
makes  such  applications  to  his  own  faith  and  creed 
of  the  symbols  and  ceremonies  of  this  degree,  as  seems 
to  him  proper."  (Morals  and  Dogma,  Ch.  XVIII.) 
This  is  well  said.  Every  intelligent  Mason  should 
make  a  protest  against  the  crude  and  antiquated  ex- 
planations of  the  symbols  given  in  this  degree.  The 
degree  itself  is  not  necessarily  sectarian,  but  the  ex- 
planations adopted  in  the  work  are  not  only  sectarian 
and  un-Masonic,  but  they  belong  to  a  system  of  things 
which  intelligent  people  are  fast  leaving  behind. 

Let  me  briefly  summarize  the  explanation  given  by 
the  authority  just  quoted.  The  cross  has  been  a  sa- 
cred symbol  from  the  earliest  antiquity.  It  is  found 
upon  all  the  enduring  monuments  of  the  world, 
in  Egypt,  Assyria,  India,  Persia,  Mexico,  etc.  Its 
peculiar  meaning  in  this  degree  is  that  given  to  it  by 
the  ancient  Egyptian  Thoth  or  Phtha,  who  is  repre- 
sented on  the  oldest  monuments  carrying  in  his  hand 
the  Crux  Ansata, — a  tau  cross  with  a  ring  over  it. 
This  was  the  hieroglyph  for  life,  and  with  a  triangle 
prefixed  meant  life-giving.  To  us,  therefore,  it  is 
the  symbol  of  life, — of  that  life  that  emanates  from 
Deity  and  of  that  Eternal  life  for  which  we  hope. 
The  Rose  was  anciently  sacred  to  Aurora  and  the 
Sun.  It  is  a  symbol  of  dawn,  of  the  resurrection, 
Light,  and  the  renewal  of  Life.  The  Cross  and  Rose 
together  signify  hieroglyphically,  the  Dawn  of  Eter- 
nal Life  and  the  advent  of  a  Saviour  for  which  all 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.A.S.R.  179 

nations  hope.  To  the  letters  "I.  N.  R.  I."  inscribed 
on  the  Crux  Ansata,  many  meanings  have  been  as- 
signed. The  Christian  sees  in  them  the  initials  of  the 
inscription  upon  the  Cross  of  Christ — IESUE  NAZARE- 
MUS  REX  IUDEORUM.  The  Sages  of  antiquity  con- 
nected it  with  one  of  the  greatest  secrets  of  nature, 
that  of  universal  regeneration.  They  interpreted  it 
thus  :  IGNE  NATURA  RENOVATUR  INTEGRA — Nature  is 
renovated  by  fire.  The  Alchemists  and  Hermetic  Ma- 
sons framed  for  it  this  aphorism,  IGNE  NITRUM  RORIS 
INVENITUR.  The  letters  are  initials  of  the  Hebrew 
words  that  represent  the  four  elements — IAMMIM,  the 
sea  or  water;  NOUR,  fire;  ROUACH,  the  air;  IEBE- 
SCHAH,  the  earth.  (Ibid,  Ch.  XVIII.) 

This  degree  symbolized  the  final  triumph  of  truth 
over  falsehood,  of  life  over  death,  of  good  over  evil. 
"No  one  Mason  has  a  right  to  measure  for  another 
within  the  walls  of  a  Masonic  Temple,  the  degree  of 
veneration  which  he  shall  feel  for  any  Reformer,  or 
Founder  of  any  Religion.  We  teach  a  belief  in  no  par- 
ticular creed  as  we  teach  unbelief  in  none."  (Ibid,  p. 
308.)  But  we  recognize  in  the  Founder  of  the  Christian 
religion,  an  Initiate  into  the  True  Mysteries ;  one  who 
came  to  rebuild  again  the  eternal  verities,  to  utter  again 
the  Divine  Wisdom  to  a  needy  world.  The  Knight  of 
the  Rose  Croix  will  revere  his  memory,  and  honor  him 
as  one  of  the  true  servants  of  the  Most  High.  We 
recognize  all  Initiates  as  Brothers.  We  belong  to  no 
creed.  We  invite  men  of  all  religions  to  enlist  under 
our  banner  and  work  to  bring  in  a  better  day. 

Dr.  Mackey  says,  "If  Masonry  were  simply  a  Chris- 
tian institution,  the  Jew  and  the  Moslem,  the  Brahmin 
and  the  Buddhist,  could  not  conscientiously  partake 


Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

of  its  illumination;  but  its  universality  is  its  boast. 
In  its  language  citizens  of  every  nation  may  converse ; 
at  its  altar  men  of  all  religions  may  kneel ;  to  its  creed 
disciples  of  every  faith  may  subscribe."  (The  Sym- 
bolism of  Freemasonry,  Mackey,  p.  237.) 

We  have  dwelt  upon  this  degree  because  of  the 
principle  involved.  The  legends  upon  which  this  de- 
gree is  based,  while  drawn  from  the  New  Testament, 
are  also  to  be  found  in  many  other  world  Scriptures, 
for  the  symbolism,  of  which  the  real  meaning  has  been 
shown  in  earlier  lectures,  is  universal.  The  degree 
itself  is  really  out  of  place  in  the  Scottish  Rite  sys- 
tem; it  should  belong  in  the  Templar  system,  if  any- 
where. 

To  again  quote  Gen.  Pike,  "We  teach  the  truth  of 
none  of  the  legends  we  recite.  They  are  to  us  but 
parables  and  allegories,  involving  and  enveloping  Ma- 
sonic instruction;  the  vehicles  of  useful  and  interest- 
information.  .  .  Every  one  being  at  liberty  to  apply 
our  symbols  and  emblems  as  he  thinks  most  consistent 
with  truth  and  reason  and  with  his  own  faith." 
(Morals  and  Dogma,  p.  329.)  Let  every  Scottish 
Rite  Mason  bear  this  fact  in  mind;  and  it  would  be 
well  for  the  Knight  Templar  to  remember  this  also, 
for  there  we  have  the  same  symbols  and  the  same 
crude  interpretation  of  them.  These  symbols,  as  we 
have  seen,  refer  to  realities  in  the  divine  life  of  Jesus, 
rather  than  to  the  incidents  in  his  physical  experi- 
ences. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Scottish  Rite  the  system 
was  full  of  grotesque  and  incongruous  things,  of  con- 
tradictions and  fantastic  extravagances.  The  Su- 
preme Council  of  the  Southern  Jurisdiction  of  the 


Origin  and  History  of  the  K.  T.  and  A.A.S.R.  181 

United  States  at  length  undertook  the  task  of  revising 
the  work  of  the  thirty  degrees  under  its  jurisdiction, 
but  while  this  was  done  with  considerable  success 
there  are  still  anachronisms  and  contradictions  which 
should  be  eliminated  to  make  the  system  harmonious. 

The  moral  teaching  of  all  the  Rites  is  excellent. 
One  who  lives  up  to  the  standard  inculcated  in  the 
Scottish  Rite  degrees  will  fulfil  every  demand  made 
by  the  strictest  code  of  morality. 


LECTURE  X. 

THE  SYMBOLS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 
MASONRY. 

The  real  secrets  of  Masonry  lie  concealed  in  its 
symbols  and  legends. 

These  symbols  and  legends  are  the  means  by  which 
the  divine  truths  of  Masonry  are  conveyed  to  the  neo- 
phyte. This  was  the  method  of  instruction  in  the  An- 
cient Mysteries,  and  it  was  naturally  adopted  in  the 
institution  of  Freemasonry.  "To  form  symbols  and 
to  interpret  them,"  says  Creuzer,  "were  the  main  oc- 
cupations of  the  ancient  priesthood,"  and  the  myths 
were  invented  to  illustrate  a  philosophic  or  religious 
truth. 

Dr.  Mackey,  after  discussing  the  question  of  myths, 
says,  "It  must  be  evident,  from  all  that  has  been  said 
respecting  the  analogy  in  origin  and  design  between 
the  Masonic  and  the  ancient  religious  myths,  that  no 
one  acquainted  with  the  true  science  of  this  subject 
can,  for  a  moment,  contend  that  all  the  legends  and 
traditions  of  the  order  are,  to  the  very  letter,  histor- 
ical facts."  (Symbolism  of  Freemasonry,  Mackey,  p. 
207.)  He  gives  as  an  illustration  of  this  the  myth 
of  the  Winding  Stairs,  which,  he  says,  "taken  in  its 
literal  sense,  is,  in  all  its  parts,  opposed  to  history  and 
probability." 

Again,  he  calls  attention  to  the  myth  which  traces 
the  origin  of  Freemasonry  to  the  beginning  of  the 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  183 

world,  "A  myth,  which  is,"  he  says,  "even  to  this  day, 
ignorantly  interpreted,  by  some,  as  an  historical  fact, 
and  the  reference  to  which  is  still  preserved  in  the 
date  of  'anno  lucis/  which  is  affixed  to  all  masonic 
documents."  This  he  calls  a  "philosophical  myth, 
symbolizing  the  idea  which  analogically  connects  the 
creation  of  physical  light  in  the  universe  with  the 
birth  of  masonic  or  spiritual  and  intellectual  light  in 
the  candidate.  The  one  is  the  type  of  the  other." 
(Ibid,  p.  211.)  In  the  legends  of  the  Master's  De- 
gree and  of  the  Royal  Arch  he  points  out  that  there 
is  a  commingling  of  the  historical  myth  and  the  myth- 
ical history  so  that  much  care  must  be  taken  in  dis- 
criminating between  the  different  elements. 

Dr.  Mackey  then  sums  up  the  duty  of  a  Mason  as 
follows,  "He  who  desires  properly  to  appreciate  the 
profound  wisdom  of  the  institution  of  which  he  is  the 
disciple,  must  not  be  content,  with  uninquiring  cred- 
ulity, to  accept  all  the  traditions  that  are  imparted  to 
him  as  veritable  histories ;  nor  yet,  with  unphilosophic 
incredulity,  to  reject  them  in  a  mass,  as  fabulous  in- 
ventions. In  these  extremes  there  is  equal  error. 
'The  myth/  says  Hermann,  'is  the  representation  of 
an  idea.'  It  is  for  that  idea  that  the  student  must 
search  in  the  myths  of  Masonry.  Beneath  every  one 
of  them  there  is  something  richer  and  more  spirit- 
ual than  the  mere  narrative.  .  .  Every  one, 
therefore,  who  desires  to  be  a  skillful  Mason,  must 
not  suppose  that  the  task  is  accomplished  by  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  the  mere  phraseology  of  the  ritual,  by  a 
readiness  in  opening  and  closing  a  lodge,  nor  by  an 
off-hand  capacity  to  confer  degrees.  All  these  are 
good  in  their  places,  but  without  the  internal  mean- 


184  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

ing  they  are  but  mere  child's  play.  He  must  study  the 
myths,  the  traditions,  and  the  symbols  of  the  order, 
and  learn  their  true  interpretation ;  for  this  alone  con- 
stitutes the  science  and  the  philosophy — the  end,  aim, 
and  design  of  Speculative  Masonry."  (Ibid,  p.  212, 
214.) 

These  deeper  things,  as  Dr.  Mackey  intimates,  are 
not  found  in  the  monitorial  explanations.  J.  D.  Buck, 
a  32nd  degree  Mason,  in  his  wonderful  book  on  Mys- 
tic Masonry,  says,  "The  most  profound  secrets  of 
Masonry  are  not  revealed  in  the  Lodge  at  all.  They 
belong  only  to  the  few.  .  .  But  these  secrets  must 
be  sought  by  the  individual  himself,  and  the  candidate 
is  debarred  from  possessing  them  solely  by  his  own 
inattention  to  the  hints  everywhere  given  in  the  ritual 
of  the  Lodge,  or  by  his  indifference  to  the  subject  If 
he  prefers  to  treat  the  whole  subject  with  contempt, 
and  to  deny  that  any  such  real  knowedge  exists,  it 
becomes  evident  that  he  not  only  closes  the  door 
against  the  possibility  of  himself  possessing  such 
knowledge,  but  he  also  becomes  impervious  to  any 
evidence  of  its  existence  that  might  come  to  him  at 
any  time.  He  has  no  one  but  himself  to  blame  if  he 
is  left  in  darkness."  (Mystic  Masonry,  Buck,  p. 
XXXVI.) 

The  ritual  and  monitorial  lessons  of  the  Lodge 
teach  nothing  new,  and  the  explanations  of  the  sym- 
bols are  often  puerile  and  inadequate.  Gen.  Pike 
says,  "There  is  no  sight  under  the  sun  more  pitiful 
and  ludicrous  at  once,  than  the  spectacle  of  the  Pres- 
tons  and  the  Webbs,  not  to  mention  the  later  incar- 
nations of  Dullness  and  Commoplace,  undertaking 
to  'explain'  the  old  symbols  of  Masonry,  and  adding  to 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  185 

and  'improving'  them,  or  inventing  new  ones.  To  the 
Circle  enclosing  the  central  point,  and  itself  traced  be- 
tween two  parallel  lines,  a  figure  purely  Kabbalistic; 
these  persons  have  added  the  super-imposed  Bible,  and 
even  reared  on  that  the  ladder  with  three  or  nine 
rounds  and  then  given  a  vapid  interpretation  of  the 
whole,  so  profoundly  absurd  as  actually  to  excite  ad- 
miration." (Morals  and  Dogma,  Pike,  p.  105.) 

The  exegesis  is  also  often  crude.  This  is  not 
strange,  as  the  ritual  was  written  before  the  days  of 
modern  Biblical  scholarship,  and  perhaps  it  would  be 
well  if  the  ritual  were  revised.  These  immature  con- 
ceptions could  be  eliminated  without  affecting  the 
meaning  and  beauty  of  the  ceremonies.  However,  if 
we  bear  in  mind  that  Masonry  does  not  indorse  its 
legends  as  literal  facts,  no  harm  can  be  done. 

We  will  now  consider  some  of  the  symbols  and 
myths  of  the  Fraternity. 

THE  LODGE. 

The  Lodge  represents  King  Solomon's  Temple. 
The  temple  is  a  symbolic  image  of  the  universe,  and 
as  such  is  symbolic  in  all  its  parts  and  arrangements, 
therefore,  the  temple  of  Solomon  resembles  all  the 
temples  of  antiquity  that  practiced  the  Mysteries. 

The  Hebrews,  like  other  peoples,  made  much  of  the 
system  of  numbers  to  convey  their  hidden  meaning. 
The  Holy  of  Holies  formed  a  cube,  corresponding  to 
the  number  four,  which  represents  manifested  nature, 
while  the  three  sides  or  faces  of  the  figure,  when 
drawn  on  a  plane  surface,  represented  the  Deity,  the 
three  aspects  of  Will,  Wisdom  and  Activity  (Intelli- 
gence). Everything  within  the  temple  was  symbolic- 


185  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

ally  arranged.  The  ceiling,  supported  by  twelve  col- 
umns, represented  the  twelve  months  of  the  year;  the 
borders  around  the  columns  and  the  candlestick  with 
the  twelve  lights  represented  the  twelve  signs  of  the 
zodiac ;  the  seven  lights,  the  seven  planets ;  the  veils  of 
four  colors  represented  the  four  elements,  etc.  In  the 
Royal  Arch  Degree  of  the  American  Rite,  the  Tab- 
ernacle has  four  veils  of  different  colors,  to  each  of 
which  belongs  a  banner  and  on  each  banner  is  in- 
scribed one  of  the  four  images ;  the  Bull,  the  Lion, 
the  Man,  the  Eagle.  These  constellations  answered 
to  the  equatorial  and  solstitial  points  of  2500  years 
B.  C.  The  four  signs  Taurus,  Leo,  Scorpio,  and 
Aquarius,  were  termed  the  fixed  signs,  and  are  as- 
signed to  the  four  veils.  The  Sun  entered  Taurus  at 
the  vernal  equinox,  Leo  at  the  Summer  solstice,  Scor- 
pio at  the  autumnal  equinox  (for  which,  on  account 
of  its  malignant  influence,  Aquilla,  the  eagle  was  sub- 
stituted), and  Aquarius  at  the  winter  solstice- 

Every  temple  was  a  representation  of  the  universe, 
and  in  them  the  great  lights  of  Nature  played  an  im- 
portant part.  The  images,  of  the  Sun,  Moon,  and 
Mercury  were  represented,  and  even  in  our  Lodge 
rooms  they  constitute  the  three  lights,  except  that  for 
Mercury  the  Master  of  the  Lodge  has  been  substi- 
tuted. Eusebius  tells  us  that  the  officers  of  the  Eleu- 
sinian  Mysteries  were  the  Hierophant,  representing 
the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe ;  the  torch-bearer, 
representing  the  Sun;  the  altar-bearer,  representing 
the  Moon;  and  the  sacred  herald,  representing  Mer- 
cury. The  latter  was  charged  with  excluding  the  pro- 
fane from  the  Mysteries. 

Every  Lodge,  as  we  have  said,  represents  the  Tern- 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  187 

pie.  The  two  great  columns  between  which  you  pass 
as  you  enter  the  Lodge  represent  the  two  great  pil- 
lars, 30  feet  8  inches  high;  6  feet  10  inches  in  diam- 
eter, which  stood  in  the  porch  of  the  temple  on  either 
side  of  the  Eastern  gateway.  These  columns  repre- 
sent the  two  pillars  of  Hercules, — the  solstices,  Cap- 
ricorn and  Cancer,  the  two  gates  of  heaven, — and 
were  imitations  by  the  Tyrian  artist  of  the  columns  at 
the  entrance  of  the  temple  of  Malkarth  in  Tyre. 

The  Lodge  is  said  to  be  due  east  and  west  as  King 
Solomon's  Temple  was  so  situated.  All  the  temples 
of  Antiquity  were  usually  thus  built.  Pythagoras  also 
arranged  his  assemblies  due  east  and  west  because  he 
held  that  motion  began  in  the  east  and  proceeded  west. 
The  Egyptian  and  Mexican  Pyramids  were  also  built 
to  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the  compass,  while  be- 
neath the  Temple,  extending  east  and  west,  was  a 
subterranean  cavern  used  for  Initiation.  No  well- 
equipped  Lodge  is  lacking  in  this  particular. 

THE  FURNISHING  OF  THE   LODGE. 

The  Holy  Bible,  Square  and  Compasses,  together 
with  a  Charter  or  Dispensation,  constitute  the  furnish- 
ings of  the  Lodge. 

(i)  The  Holy  Bible.  This  in  a  Christian  Lodge 
consists  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments;  a  Hebrew 
Lodge  would  use  the  Old  Testament  only;  a  Moham- 
medan Lodge,  the  Koran ;  in  like  manner  a  Buddhist 
Lodge  could  use  the  Tripitaka,  a  Hindu  Lodge  the 
Vedas,  etc.  The  obligation  of  the  candidate  is  always 
taken  on  the  Sacred  Book  of  his  religion,  for  his  Holy 
Bible  is  his  Light,  in  accordance  with  which  he  should 
live  and  walk. 


188  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

(2)  The  Square  and  Compasses.  These  symbols 
are  perhaps  the  most  familiar  to  the  general  public  of 
any  in  Masonry.  I  need  not  dwell  on  the  lessons  in 
morality  which  the  square  and  compasses  teach.  Ma- 
sonry is,  however,  something  more  than  a  system  of 
morality,  and  it  is  this  inner  significance  that  I  have 
endeavored  to  set  forth. 

There  is  a  science  and  philosophy  concealed  in  these 
symbols  which  Dr.  Buck  explains  as  follows:  "The 
Square  with  its  one  right  angle  and  its  scale  of  meas- 
urements applies  to  surfaces  and  solids,  and  deals 
with  the  apparently  fixed  states  of  matter.  It  repre- 
sents solidarity,  symmetry  and  proportion ;  and  this  in- 
volves the  sciences  of  arithmetic  and  geometry.  The 
Compasses  with  moveable  angle  set  in  the  Lodge  at  an 
angle  of  60  degrees,  applies  to  the  circle  and  the 
sphere;  to  movements  and  revolutions.  In  a  general 
sense,  the  square  is  a  symbol  of  matter  and  the  earth ; 
the  Compasses  of  Spirit  and  the  heavens."  (Mystic 
Masonry,  Buck,  p.  242.) 

The  position  of  the  Square  and  Compasses  indicates 
the  progress  of  the  candidate  from  Entered  Appren- 
tice to  that  of  Master  Mason. 

THE  ORNAMENTS. 

The  Ornaments  of  a  Lodge  are  the  Mosaic  Pave- 
ment, the  Indented  Tessel,  and  the  Blazing  Star. 

The  Mosaic  Pavement  is  supposed  to  represent  the 
ground  floor  of  King  Solomon's  Temple ;  the  Indented 
Tessel,  the  border  or  skirting  surrounding  it.  There 
is  no  evidence  that  either  existed  in  the  ancient  tem- 
ple, but  the  symbol  is  significant  as  it  denotes  the 
checkered  course  of  life,  also  the  two  opposing  prin- 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  189 

ciples  in  Nature, — Light  and  Darkness,  Michael  and 
Satan,  Balder  and  Loki,  Ormuzd  and  Ahriman,  etc. 

The  Blazing  Star  also  represents  these  two  princi- 
ples. If  the  point  is  turned  upward  it  represents  God, 
Good,  Order,  or  the  Lamb  of  Ormuzd  and  St.  John; 
if  the  point  is  turned  downward  it  denotes  Lucifer, 
Evil,  Disorder,  or  the  accursed  Goat  of  Mendes  and 
the  Mysteries.  The  Blazing  Star  or  Pentagram  also 
represents  the  human  body, — the  five  points  repre- 
senting the  four  limbs  and  head.  It  is  thus  called  the 
sign  of  the  Microcosm.  All  the  Mysteries  of  Magic 
were  said  to  be  summed  up  in  this  symbol.  Paracel- 
sus pronounces  it  the  greatest  and  most  potent  of  all 
signs. 

THE  ALL  SEEING  EYE. 

This  symbol,  in  the  Ancient  Mysteries,  indicated  the 
sight  that  annuls  time  and  space.  This  is  the  symbol 
of  the  higher  clairvoyance.  The  Master  always  pos- 
sessed this  sight.  In  India  this  All  Seeing  Eye  was 
called  the  Eye  of  Siva.  The  Egyptians  represented 
Osiris  by  the  symbol  of  an  open  eye,  and  placed  this 
hieroglyphic  of  him  in  all  their  temples.  In  the  Lodge 
the  All  Seeing  Eye  represents  the  Omniscence  of  God, 
— The  Eye  that  never  sleeps.  It  may  also  represent, 
as  in  the  Ancient  Mysteries,  the  higher  vison. 

THE    LETTER    G. 

This  letter  is  the  natural  symbol  among  English- 
speaking  people  for  God.  It  is  a  substitute  in  Ameri- 
can Lodges  for  the  Hebrew  Yod,  which  is  the  Kab- 
balistic  symbol  for  unity.  In  France  the  letter  Yod 
is  put  in  the  Blazing  Star. 


190  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

THE   CLASPED   HANDS. 

This  symbol  was  used  by  Pythagoras  and  repre- 
sented the  sacred  number  ten — the  number  expressed 
by  the  mysterious  Tetractys.  This  figure  was  repre- 
sented in  the  form  of  the  triangle.  The  Hebrews 
formed  it  with  the  letters  of  the  Divine  Name.  Both 
Pythagoras  and  the  Hebrew  priests  borrowed  the  fig- 
ure from  the  sacred  science  of  Egypt. 

THE  TRIANGLE  AND  DOUBLE  TRIANGLE. 

All  the  nations  of  antiquity  considered  the  triangle 
as  sacred.  It  was  one  of  the  most  common  symbols 
for  the  Deity.  The  three  sides  typify  the  three  as- 
pects of  God — Will,  Wisdom  and  Intelligence.  Here 
we  have  the  Trinity  in  Unity. 

The  double  triangle  interlaced,  symbolizes  the  mani- 
fested universe — the  union  of  spirit  and  matter.  The 
triangle  pointing  upward  is  spirit  or  fire ;  the  one  point- 
ing downward  is  matter  or  water.  One  represents 
the  descent  of  spirit  into  matter,  the  other  the  ascent 
of  matter  to  spirit.  The  union  of  the  two,  in  the 
manifested  universe,  is  inseparable.  This  double  tri- 
angle is  used  in  India  to  symbolize  two  Hindu  Gods, 
or  rather  the  two  aspects  of  Ishvara — Siva  and  Vish- 
nu. It  also  represents  the  six  points,  the  senary, 
which  with  the  point  in  the  center  is  the  septinary. 

THE  LIGHT. 

There  are  three  greater  and  three  lesser  lights  in 
Masonry,  and  though  the  ritual  does  not  give  any  ex- 
planation of  these  symbols,  there  is  an  important 
meaning  connected  with  them.  The  Sun  is  an  ancient 
symbol  of  the  Logos — it  signifies  the  male  aspect,  the 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  191 

life-giving  and  generative  power.  God  is  the  source 
of  light,  and  light  is  the  cause  of  life.  The  Moon  rep- 
resents the  passive,  or  female  aspect  of  Nature. 

JACOB'S  LADDER. 

The  mystical  ladder  which  Jacob  in  his  vision  saw, 
extending  from  earth  to  heaven,  was  a  common  sym- 
bol in  the  Ancient  Mysteries,  and  was  always  com- 
posed of  seven  steps  or  rounds.  The  ladder  symbol- 
ized the  progress  of  man  from  his  present  to  higher 
conditions — each  round  representing  one  of  the  seven 
stages  of  his  evolutionary  progress.  In  the  Mysteries 
of  Persia  and  India  this  mystic  ladder  was  an  impor- 
tant symbol,  especially  in  the  former,  where  a  ladder 
of  seven  rounds  was  erected  in  each  of  their  temples. 

The  seven  steps  also  correspond  to  the  seven  gates 
through  which  the  candidate  was  passed  successively 
in  his  journeyings  through  the  seven  caverns  of  Initi- 
ation, and  symbolized  the  seven  conditions  or  sub- 
planes  of  Hades.  The  seven  steps,  seven  gates,  seven 
halls,  seven  worlds,  seven  planes,  etc.,  are  all  symbols 
of  the  various  stages  of  the  soul's  progress. 

The  ancient  Initiates  held  that  the  evolution  of  the 
human  soul  took  place  through  a  series  of  seven  globes 
situated  on  the  three  lower  planes  of  the  universe. 
The  life  wave  passes  seven  times  round  this  world- 
chain,  and  through  seven  stages  on  each  globe.  The 
progress  involves  a  downward  and  an  upward  arc — 
a  descent  of  spirit  into  matter  and  a  re-ascent  of  spirit 
to  God.  This  is  symbolized  in  Jacob's  vision  by  the 
angels  ascending  and  descending. 

Jacob's  ladder  is  sometimes  misrepresented  with  three 
or  nine  rounds;  it  should  have  seven.  Dr.  Mackey 


192  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

says  that  "The  error  arose  from  the  ignorance  of  those 
inventors  who  first  engraved  the  masonic  symbols  for 
our  monitors.  The  ladder  of  Masonry,  like  the  equi- 
pollent ladders  of  its  kindred  institutions,  always  had 
seven  steps,  although  in  modern  times  the  three  prin- 
cipal or  upper  ones  are  alone  alluded  to.  These 
rounds,  beginning  at  the  lowest,  are  Temperance,  For- 
titude, Prudence,  Justice,  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity." 
(The  Symbolism  of  Freemasonry,  Mackey,  p.  120.) 
The  application  of  these  virtues,  however,  is  a  later 
addition  to  symbolism. 

The  seven  rounds  are  also  emblematical  of  the  seven 
planes  of  the  universe — physical,  astral,  mental 
buddhic,  atmic,  anupadika  and  adi;  the  seven  ancient 
elements — earth,  water,  fire,  air,  ether,  and  two  un- 
named; the  seven  subplanes  of  the  astral  world — 
astral  solid,  liquid,  gaseous,  etheric,  super-etheric,  sub- 
atomic, and  atomic;  the  seven  metals — lead,  quick- 
silver, copper,  tin,  iron,  silver,  and  gold;  the  seven 
colors — black,  purple,  green,  blue,  red,  white,  and  yel- 
low; the  seven  stones — diamond,  amethyst,  emerald, 
sapphire,  ruby,  pearl,  and  topaz;  the  seven  ancient 
planets — Saturn,  Mercury,  Venus,  Jupiter,  Mars,  Luna 
and  Sol.  Thus  the  seven-stepped  ladder  had  various 
applications  and  correspondences.  Its  presence  in  the 
Masonic  institutions  is  evidence  of  the  close  analogy 
between  Freemasonry  and  the  Ancient  Mysteries. 

THE    RIGHT    ANGLED    TRIANGLE, 
OR    THE   47TH    PROBLEM    OF    EUCLID. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  important  symbols  of  an- 
tiquity. The  perpendicular  line,  whose  measurement 
is  3,  represents  the  active,  male  principle;  the  base 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  193 

line,  whose  measurement  is  4,  represents  the  passive, 
female  principle;  and  their  union,  or  the  addition  of 
the  squares  of  these  numbers,  will  produce  a  square 
whose  root  will  be  the  hypotheneuse, — a  line  meas- 
ured by  5  and  representing  the  universe.  The  square 
of  the  perpendicular  and  base,  9+16=25,  the  square 
root  of  which  is  5,  the  number  of  the  hypotheneuse. 
It  was  taught  in  all  the  Mysteries  that  the  union  of 
the  male  and  female  principles  of  Nature  produced 
the  universe.  This  is  the  occult  meaning  of  the  47th 
problem  of  Euclid — the  sum  of  the  squares  of  the  per- 
pendicular and  base  of  a  right  angle  triangle  equals 
the  square  of  the  hypotheneuse.  This  is  a  symbol  of 
perfect  proportion  between  number  and  forms;  be- 
tween spirit  and  matter. 

The  three  sides  of  the  triangle  bear  the  proportions, 
as  we  have  seen,  of  3,  4,  and  5,  and  $-}-£=$*,  or 
9+16=25;  also  9+16+25=50.  Thus  the  number 
50  is  based  on  the  proportion  of  the  sides  of  the  right 
angled  triangle. 

Philo  speaks  of  two  series,  which  he  calls  triangles 
and  squares;  namely,  i,  3,  6,  10  and  i,  4,  9,  16.  With 
regard  to  the  triangle  series  i,  3,  6,  10,  it  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  1=1 ;  3=1+2;  6=1+2+3;  and 
10=1+2+3+4.  In  the  square  series,  i,  4,  9,  16; 
i=ia;  4=22;  9=3';  and  16=4' ;  1+3+6+10=20; 
and  1+4+9+16=30;  and  20+30=50;  50  was  a  sa- 
cred number,  and  was  derived  from  the  right  angled 
triangle.  The  greatest  Jewish  festival  (Jubilee)  took 
place  every  fifty  years. 

THE  LAMB-SKIN  OR  WHITE  LEATHER  APRON. 

In  the  Ancient  Mysteries  the  investiture  of  the 
Apron  formed  an  essential  part  of  the  ceremony  of 


194  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

Initiation.  The  Apron  and  White  Robe  were  symbols 
of  purity.  In  Persia  the  investiture  was  exceedingly 
imposing.  The  candidate  having  taken  the  oath  of 
secrecy,  was  given  the  insignia  of  the  Order — the 
Girdle,  the  Tiara,  the  White  Apron  and  the  Purple 
Tunic.  The  Japanese  candidate  was  also  clothed  in 
certain  Garments  which  consisted  of  a  Loose  Tunic  and 
White  Apron  bound  round  the  loins  with  a  girdle.  In 
the  degree  of  holiness  practiced  by  the  Pharisees  the 
"noviciate"  was  also  given  an  Apron  as  a  symbol  of 
purity.  The  Essenes  and  Druids  invested  their  can- 
didates with  a  White  Robe,  and  the  Scandinavians  gave 
the  candidate  a  White  Shield.  In  all  these  ceremonies 
whatever  the  material  or  form,  the  symbolic  signifi- 
cance was  always  the  same.  The  White  Apron  of 
Masonry  was  derived  from  these  ancient  ceremonies, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  significant  symbols  in  our  Or- 
der; the  color  "White"  having  been  an  emblem  of 
Light  and  Purity  from  time  immemorial. 

The  shape  and  combination  of  the  Masonic  Apron 
is  that  of  a  triangle  overlapping  a  square,  represent- 
ing the  occult  septenary  nature  of  man.  The  triangle 
symbolizes  spirit,  or  the  three  highest  principles;  the 
square  or  quaternary  the  four  lowest.  Each  prin- 
ciple is  correlated  to  a  plane,  a  round  and  a  race.  The 
spiritual  triad  is  the  spiritual  body  of  St.  Paul,  and 
the  quaternary  the  natural  body.  The  triad,  which  is 
the  immortal  part  of  man,  contains  potentially  all  the 
powers  of  Divinity;  and  to  develop  these  latent  attri- 
butes it  must  descend  into  matter — the  triangle  must 
incarnate  in  the  square.  This  is  represented  in  Masonry 
by  the  degree  of  Entered  Apprentice,  and  is  symbol- 
ized by  the  way  in  which  the  Apprentice  is  taught  to 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  195 

wear  his  Apron.  The  spiritual  is  subordinate  to  the 
material — earthly  desires  and  passions  rule  supreme. 
But  the  candidate  is  here  to  learn  to  subdue  his  pas- 
sions; his  partial  success  is  represented  by  the  degree 
of  Fellow  Craft,  and  is  symbolized  by  the  way  he 
wears  his  Apron  in  that  degree.  The  complete  tri- 
umph of  the  spiritual  is  represented  by  the  Master 
Mason  degree,  and  is  again  indicated  by  the  Apron. 
This  state  was  represented  in  the  Ancient  Mysteries 
by  the  mystical  death  and  resurrection  of  the  candi- 
date. The  perfected  Initiate  has  mastered  his  lower 
nature  and  has  become  the  Perfect  Man, — Hermes, 
Buddha,  or  Christ. 

The  symbolism  of  the  Apron  is  indeed  far  reaching. 
Let  every  Mason  remember  how  he  impersonated 
the  Grand  Master.  He  should  never  forget  its  deep 
significance.  In  the  Ancient  Mysteries  the  candidate 
did  not  merely  impersonate  the  Master,  he  himself 
became  the  Master — the  ceremony  merely  symboliz- 
ing what  he  became.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose,  as 
some  writers  have,  that  the  candidate  m  the  mystic 
rites  was  merely  representing  the  events  connected 
with  the  tragedy  of  the  Master  or  God  from  whom 
the  Mysteres  derived  their  name.  The  story  of  the 
Master  or  God  was  wholly  an  allegory  of  the  experi- 
ences of  the  Initiate,  while  the  rites  were  but  typical 
of  the  various  stages  in  the  growth  of  the  soul.  In 
the  process  of  becoming  a  Christ  he  represents  all 
those  who  have  attained  the  Christ  state,  for  all  mas- 
ters have  passed  through  the  experiences  symbolized 
by  the  Myth. 

Masonry  has  a  truer  conception  than  any  exoteric 
religion,  for  these  religions  take  the  symbol  for  the 


196  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

thing  symbolized,  but  Masonry,  in  making  the  candi- 
date impersonate  Hiram,  has  preserved  the  original 
teaching.  Hiram  is  identical  with  the  Sun-Gods  of 
all  nations — it  is  a  universal  glyph,  for  all  real  Initia- 
tion is  an  internal  process,  a  regeneration,  the  con- 
summation of  which  is  the  Perfect  Man  or  Master, 
the  goal  of  human  evolution. 

In  the  Ancient  Mysteries  there  was  a  further  Rite 
which  symbolized  the  next  stage,  that  of  union  with 
the  Divine,  the  At-One-Ment.  This  was  the  Ascen- 
sion, and  is  symbolized  by  the  square  enclosed  in  the 
triangle.  The  lower  nature  is  here  refined  and  "as- 
cends to  the  Father."  God  is  All  in  All. 

As  we  have  already  said,  each  principle  in  man's 
constitution  is  correlated  to  a  plane.  A  knowledge 
of  these  planes  would  enable  a  man  by  a  trained  will 
to  direct  the  forces  on  each  plane.  Such  is  the  power 
of  a  real  Master. 


LECTURE  XI. 
THE  SYMBOLS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  MASONRY 

(Continued.) 

In  this  concluding  lecture  of  the  series,  we  will 
consider  the  remaining  important  symbols  and  legends 
of  Masonry. 

SACRED    OR    INEFFABLE    NAME. 

This  symbol  was  universal  in  ancient  times,  for 
every  nation  of  antiquity  had  its  Sacred  Name  or 
Ineffable  Word.  The  Hebrew  symbol  consists  of 
four  letters,  Yod,  He,  Van,  He,  and  is  called  the 
Tetragrammaton,  or  four  lettered  word.  This  word 
was  said  to  have  been  communicated  by  God  to  Moses 
at  the  burning  bush.  The  name  was  held  most  sacred 
by  the  Jews,  but  its  meaning  and  proper  pronuncia- 
tion has  long  been  obscured. 

Before  the  invention  of  the  masoretic  points  the 
pronunciation  of  a  word  in  the  Hebrew  language 
could  not  be  known  by  the  characters  themselves,  so 
it  was  easy  in  the  course  of  time  to  lose  the  proper 
pronunciation.  Especially  so,  as  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Hellenistic  age  the  use  of  the  name  was  reserved 
for  the  temple.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Christian 
era,  Philo  writes,  "The  four  letters  may  be  men- 
tioned or  heard  only  by  holy  men  whose  ears  and 
tongues  are  prepared  by  wisdom,,  and  by  no  others  in 
any  place  whatsoever."  In  the  course  of  time  the 


198  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

pronunciation  of  the  name,  even  by  the  temple  priests, 
fell  into  disuse,  and  the  manner  of  its  pronunciation 
at  length  became  a  secret  entrusted  only  to  the  few. 
While  the  word  was  being  withdrawn  from  common 
use,  it  was  pronounced  "Adonai"  in  the  scriptures, 
and  when  the  vowel  points  were  introduced  those 
that  belonged  to  Adonai  were  placed  under  the  Tetra- 
grammaton. 

The  word  itself  is  a  symbol;  the  letters  are  prob- 
ably arranged  as  a  blind.  As  they  stand  in  the  Tetra- 
grammaton  they  have  no  significance.  They  do  not 
represent  any  real  Hebrew  word.  Now  if  we  apply 
the  Hebrew  method  of  halving  or  transposing  letters 
which  was  used  to  conceal  the  meaning  of  a  word,  or 
rather  if  we  reverse  the  process  which  may  have  been 
employed,  we  get  instead  of  Y.  H.  V.  H.,  H.  V.  H.  Y. 
Before  the  introduction  of  vowel  signs,  certain  weak 
consonants  such  as  Yod  and  Vau,  were  sometimes 
used  to  indicate  vowel  sounds,  so  we  frequently  see  I 
or  E  given  as  an  equivalent  for  Yod,  and  U  or  O 
given  for  Vau.  Even  Yod  is  sometimes  given  as  Jod, 
and  Vau  as  Waw,  so  we  have  the  name  given  as  Y.  H. 
V.  H.  or  I.  H.  V.  H.  or  J.  H.  V.  H.,  or  Y.  H.  W.  H., 
or  I.  H.  O.  H.,  etc. 

Now  the  personal  pronouns  He  and  She  are  writ- 
ten in  Hebrew  with  the  signs  He,  Vau,  A-leph,  and 
He,  Yod,  A-leph.  When  A-leph  terminates  a  word, 
and  has  no  vowel  immediately  preceding  or  following, 
it  is  usually  dropped.  Now  if  we  drop  the  final 
A-leph  we  have  the  transposed  Tetragrammaton,  H. 
V.  H.  Y.,  which  are  the  personal  pronouns  He  and 
She,  the  male  and  female,  representing  the  two  great 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  199 

principles  of  nature, — the  dual  aspect  of  the  Second 
Logos. 

Now  if  we  turn  to  the  Kabbalah,  which  contains 
some  portions  of  the  secret  teachings  of  the  Jews, 
we  shall  find  that  this  great  principle  is  the  exact 
meaning  of  the  Tetragrammaton.  It  does  not  repre- 
sent the  Absolute  Deity,  or  the  Unmanifested  Logos, 
but  it  does  represent  the  manifested,  the  first  emana- 
tion— Adam  Kadmon.  The  two  aspects  of  Being 
which  are  potential  in  the  First  Logos,  become  mani- 
fested in  the  later  stages  of  evolution.  This  name 
represents  the  four  worlds — Alseluth,  signified  by 
Yod,  Briah  by  He,  Yezerah  by  Vau,  and  Asiah  by  the 
Second  He.  The  source  of  the  Tetragrammaton  is 
Absolute  Deity,  Ain-Soph,  the  Causeless  Cause.  The 
Tetragrammaton  is  also  the  Sephiroth,  which  are  ten 
in  number,  and  emanate  one  from  the  other.  The 
highest  is  Kether,  the  Crown;  then  comes  Chockmah 
and  Binah,  the  male  and  female  principles.  From 
these  emanate  the  other  seven.  The  very  fact  that 
the  meaning  of  the  Tetragrammaton  is  identical  with 
the  words  obtained  by  transposing  the  letters,  is  suf- 
ficient evidence  that  the  word  was  really  H.  V.  (or 
W.  U.  O.)  H.  Y.  (or  J.  I.  E.),  according  to  the  equiva- 
lents adopted  for  the  signs — whether  interpreted  as 
consonants  or  vowels — and  the  names  given  to  the 
signs. 

The  meaning  and  pronunciation  of  the  word  was 
carefully  guarded.  There  is  no  hint  given  in  the 
ritual  for  this  secrecy,  but  there  is  a  scientific  reason, 
for  the  mystic  Word  has  to  do  with  the  science  of 
rhythmic  vibrations  which  is  the  key  to  the  equili- 
brium of  all  forces.  In  all  mysticism  the  knowledge 


200  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

of  names  meant  the  possession  of  powers.  The 
spoken  name  gave  one  the  power  of  the  name.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  how  the  Jews  worked  this  idea  into 
their  system.  In  the  Talmud  the  wonderful  works 
of  Jesus  are  ascribed  to  his  use  of  the  Sacred  Name. 
According  to  early  traditions  the  knowledge  whereby 
he  wrought  these  works  was  learned  in  Egypt,  but  in 
the  developed  Toldoth  the  "word  of  power"  was  the 
Holy  Name, — the  Tetgrammaton. 

All  nations  of  antiquity  had  their  Sacred  Names, 
which  were  "Words  of  Power."  These  names  were 
formed  by  taking  a  letter  which  conveyed  a  meaning 
and  adding  other  letters  each  having  a  meaning;  the 
whole  word  thus  formed  constituting  a  Sacred  Name 
or  Word,  which  contains  some  great  truth.  These 
Names  were  Words  of  Power,  for,  as  the  unfolding 
consciousness  realizes  one  truth  after  another  and  be- 
comes that  truth,  it  rules.  In  Persia  the  Sacred  Name 
was  H.  O.  M.,  in  India  A.  U.  M.,  in  Scandinavia 
I.  O.  W.,  in  Greece  I.  A.  O.,  etc. 

THE  RITE   OF  CIRCUMAMBULATION 

This  Rite  again  connects  Freemasonry  with  the  An- 
cient Mysteries.  It  consists  in  a  formal  procession 
around  the  altar,  and  originally  alluded  to  the  appar- 
ent course  of  the  sun  which  is  from  east  to  west.  In 
ancient  Greece  the  priests,  during  the  Rites  of  sacri- 
fice, walked  three  times  around  the  altar  while  chant- 
ing a  sacred  hymn,  which  was  divided  into  three 
parts,  and  each  part  was  to  be  sung  at  a  particular 
point  in  the  procession.  The  analogy  between  this 
practice  of  the  ancients  and  the  recitations  of  a  pass- 
age of  Scripture  in  the  Masonic  circumambulation^  is 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  201 

quite  apparent.  In  making  this  circuit  it  was  con- 
sidered necessary  that  the  right  side  should  always  be 
next  to  the  altar,  and  so  the  procession  moved  from 
west  to  the  north,  then  east,  south,  west  and  then  to 
the  north  again.  We  find  the  same  Rite  among  the 
Romans,  Druids,  and  Hindus.  In  all  these  ceremo- 
nies they  were  "imitating  the  example  of  the  sun  and 
following  his  beneficent  course." 

THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  WINDING  STAIRS. 

This  Legend  is  connected  with  the  Fellow  Craft 
degree.  It  is  based  upon  I  Kings,  vi,  8,  "The  door 
for  the  middle  chamber  was  in  the  right  side  of  the 
house;  and  they  went  up  with  winding  stairs  into 
the  middle  chamber,  and  out  of  the  middle  into  the 
third." 

"Out  of  this  slender  material,"  says  Dr.  Mackey, 
"has  been  constructed  an  allegory,  which,  if  properly 
considered  in  its  symbolical  relations,  will  be  found 
to  be  of  surpassing  beauty.  But  it  is  only  as  a  sym- 
bol that  we  can  regard  this  whole  tradition;  for  the 
historical  facts  and  the  architectural  details  alike  for- 
bid us  for  a  moment  to  suppose  that  the  legend,  as  it 
is  rehearsed  in  the  second  degree  of  Masonry,  is  any- 
thing more  than  a  magnificent  philosophical  myth." 
(The  Symbolism  of  Freemasonry,  Mackey,  p.  215.) 

The  lesson  which  this  legend  teaches  is  not  difficult 
to  discover.  Freemasonry  is  a  speculative  science 
which  has  for  its  object  the  investigation  of  divine 
truth.  The  candidate  is  in  search  of  more  light,  and 
as  all  the  ceremonies  denote  a  progress  from  a  lower 
to  a  higher  state,  he  is  always  progressing.  This 
fundamental  symbolism  of  Masonry  is  found  in  each 


202  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

degree.  There  is  the  mystical  ladder,  the  ceremony 
of  circumambulation,  the  restoration  to  life,  etc.  The 
Legend  of  the  Winding  Stairs  symbolizes  the  same 
fact — the  ascent  of  man  from  ignorance  to  knowl- 
edge, from  darkness  to  light,  from  death  to  life. 

The  .steps  of  the  Winding  Stairs  commenced  on 
the  porch  of  the  Temple.  This  indicates  the  begin- 
ning of  the  masonic  life — the  preparation  for  enter- 
ing the  temple. 

It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  number  of  steps  in 
all  the  systems  has  been  odd.  This  probably  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  symbolism  of  numbers  was  bor- 
rowed from  Pythagoras,  in  whose  system  of  philoso- 
phy the  odd  numbers  were  regarded  as  sacred,  though 
the  number  of  steps  has  greatly  varied.  Tracing 
boards  have  been  found  in  which  only  five  steps  are 
represented,  and  others  which  denote  seven.  At  one 
time  in  England  the  number  was  thirty-eight,  which 
was  reduced  to  thirty-seven,  and  in  this  country  the 
number  has  been  reduced  to  fifteen.  Perhaps  five 
would  be  the  more  appropriate  as  the  stairs  only  ex- 
tended to  the  middle  chamber.  The  number  seven, 
corresponding  to  the  number  of  rounds  in  the  mystic 
ladder,  would  indicate  the  attainment  of  perfection — 
the  Holy  of  Holies.  We  might  say  that  the  complete 
stairs  are  composed  of  seven  steps, — three  carrying  the 
candidate  into  the  ground  floor  of  the  temple,  two  into 
the  middle,  and  two  into  the  inner  sanctuary  The 
general  symbolism  of  the  Legend  is  not  affected  by 
the  number  of  steps,  or  the  method  of  division. 

The  candidate  who  succeeds  in  climbing  the  Wind- 
ing Stairs  will  receive  his  reward.  What  is  the  re- 
ward or  wages  of  the  Speculative  Mason?  Not  sil- 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  203 

ver  nor  gold,  but  Truth.  Yet  the  whole  of  divine 
truth  cannot  be  imparted  to  the  Fellow  Craft.  The 
Middle  Chamber,  then,  where  he  receives  his  wages, 
is  symbolical  of  the  Fellow  Craft  degree,  and  the 
wages  are  appropriate  to  the  degree  of  his  progress. 

To  again  quote  Dr.  Mackey,  "It  is,  then,  as  a  sym- 
bol, and  a  symbol  only,  that  we  must  study  this  beauti- 
ful legend  of  the  Winding  Stairs.  If  we  attempt  to 
adopt  it  as  an  historical  fact,  the  absurdity  of  its  details 
stares  us  in  the  face,  and  wise  men  will  wonder  at  our 
credulity.  Its  inventors  had  no  desire  thus  to  impose 
upon  our  folly ;  but  offering  it  to  us  as  a  great  philoso- 
phical myth,  they  did  not  for  a  moment  suppose  that 
we  would  pass  over  its  sublime  moral  teachings  to 
accept  the  allegory  as  an  historical  narrative,  without 
meaning,  and  wholly  irreconcilable  with  the  records  of 
Scripture,  and  opposed  by  all  the  principles  of  prob- 
ability. To  suppose  that  eighty  thousand  craftsmen 
were  weekly  paid  in  the  narrow  precincts  of  the  tem- 
ple chambers,  is  simply  to  suppose  an  absurdity." 
(Ibid,  p.  226.) 

We  must  guard  against  the  materialization  of  our 
allegories  and  symbols.  Remember  Masonry  is  a 
"system  of  morality,  veiled  in  allegory  and  illustrated 
by  symbols."  To  regard  the  myths  as  history  is  to 
miss  the  truth  which  the  symbols  were  designed  to 
teach.  No  intelligent  Mason  will  fall  into  this  error. 

THE  HIRAM   LEGEND  AND  THE   MASTER'S  DEGREE. 

The  Hiram  Legend  and  the  Master's  Degree  are 
derived  from  the  Mysteries.  They  are  the  latest  ex- 
pression of  the  old  Sun  Myth  and  the  Ancient  Rite. 

Dr.  Mackey,  in  speaking  of  the  symbol  of  Hiram, 


204  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

says,  "It  was  evidently  borrowed  from  the  pagan 
Mysteries,  where  Bacchus,  Adonis,  Proserpina,  and 
a  host  of  other  apotheosized  beings  play  the  same 
role  that  Hiram  does  in  the  Masonic  Mysteries." 
(Ibid,  p.  20.) 

I  have  given,  various  forms  of  these  Legends — the 
Osiris,  Atys,  Hu,  Balder,  and  others.  In  each  of 
them  the  Hero  of  the  Myth  dies  or  is  deprived  of  life, 
is  laid  away  in  the  tomb,  and  rises  again  from  the 
grave.  This  ceremony  was  called  the  mystical  death 
and  resurrection. 

The  legend  represents  the  activity  of  the  Logos  in 
the  cosmos,  and  the  mystic  life  of  the  Initiate.  The 
ancient  legends  and  symbols  always  have  a  double 
meaning  and  sometimes  more.  The  lectures  on  True 
Initiation  set  forth  in  detail  the  two  aspects  of  the 
Sun  Myth — the  mythic  and  the  mystic.  To  the  unin- 
itiated the  cosmic  or  mythic  aspect  of  the  legend  was 
the  only  one  seen,  thus  the  Rites  were  supposed  by 
them  merely  to  typify  the  death  and  resurrection  of 
some  Hero  or  Demi  God,  as  Osiris,  Mithra,  Atys, 
Avdonis,  Tammuz,  etc.,  and  so  the  Sun  was  wor- 
shipped under  these  titles.  Perhaps  this  was  natural 
enough,  for  the  visible  Sun  was  a  symbol  not  only  of 
the  Logos,  the  Spiritual  Sun,  but  also  of  the  Initiate. 
The  yearly  course  of  the  Sun  represented  in  one  as- 
pect the  mystic  life  of  the  Initiate. 

You  will  recall  that  in  the  Hindu  Mysteries  when 
the  candidate  reached  the  south  in  his  circuits,  he 
said,  "I  copy  the  example  of  the  Sun,  and  follow  his 
beneficent  course."  This  example  was  not  merely  ex- 
ternal. The  Sun  is  a  symbol  of  the  Logos,  and  its 
yearly  course  typifies  the  work  of  the  Logos,  so  that 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  205 

the  candidate,  by  representing  the  Sun  and  following 
his  course,  is  really  following  the  example  of  the 
Logos ; — the  Sun  Myth  typifying  both  the  activity  of 
the  Logos  and  the  mystic  life  of  the  Initiate. 

In  the  true  Mysteries  the  Rites  symbolized  the  va- 
rious stages  of  this  mystic  life.  Complete  mastery  over 
the  lower  nature  was  typified  by  placing  the  candi- 
date in  a  trance  and  laying  him  away  in  a  sepulcher 
for  three  days  and  nights.  In  the  Pseudo  Mysteries 
the  aspirant  was  confined  in  a  cell  in  his  normal  state, 
and  kept  there  in  fear  and  darkness  that  he  might 
reflect  on  the  seriousness  of  the  step  taken,  and  be 
better  prepared  to  receive  the  mysterious  truths  be- 
queathed from  the  ancient  days.  This  was  the  sym- 
bolical death,  the  deliverance  from  which  was  called 
the  resurrection.  While  confined  in  his  cell  the  search 
for  the  Hero  was  made  and  his  body  finally  found. 

The  Master  Mason  will  here  see  the  source  of  the 
Hiram  Legend,  and  the  Master's  Degree.  I  am  not 
permitted  to  say  more,  neither  is  it  necessary  for  those 
who  are  qualified  will  understand.  Mr.  Singleton, 
33rd  degree,  after  describing  the  mystical  death  in  the 
Ancient  Mysteries,  says,  "The  Intelligent  Mason  will, 
from  this,  discover  the  origin  of  the  Rites  in  the  3rd 
Degree  of  Symbolic  Masonry  and  the  5th  and  3ist 
Degrees,  A.  A.  S.  R.  .  .  .  The  Mysteries,  in  all 
their  forms,  were  funereal.  They  celebrated  the  mys- 
tical death  and  revivification  of  some  individual  by 
the  use  of  emblems,  symbols,  and  allegorical  repre- 
sentations." (History  of  Freemasonry  and  Concord- 
ant Orders,  p.  73.)  Mr.  Singleton  is  here  in  error 
in  regard  to  the  purpose  of  the  Mysteries,  if  he  means 
that  they  merely  celebrated  the  mystical  death  and 


206  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

resurrection  of  some  one  individual.  The  ceremonies 
of  Initiation  symbolized  the  progress  of  the  human 
soul,  and  the  mystical  death  and  resurrection  were 
experienced  by  every  Initiate.  Perhaps  in  the  latter 
days  of  the  Mysteries,  when  no  true  Initiation  took 
place,  the  ceremonies  may  have  been  considered  as 
symbolizing  the  experiences  of  some  special  individ-, 
ual,  but  such  was  not  the  case  in  the  true  Mysteries. 

We  see  thus  that  the  story  of  Hirami  is  but  a  vari- 
ation of  the  ancient  and  universal  legend,  in  which 
Osiris,  Adonis,  Dionysus,  Balder,  Hu,  and  many  more 
have  played  the  principal  part.  Some  call  Hiram  a 
"mythical  symbol."  This  is  true,  but  he  is  also  a 
mystical  symbol.  Mythically  Hiram  is  the  Sun,  a 
symbol  of  the  Logos ;  mystically  he  is  the  perfect  In- 
itiate, the  Grand  Master.  The  myth  was  not  intended 
to  add  to  the  facts  of  history,  but,  as  De  Witte  points 
out,  "to  illustrate  a  philosophical  or  religious  truth." 

We  must  here  utter  a  protest  against  the  sectarian 
interpretation  of  the  Master  Mason's  degree.  It  is 
true  that  the  degree  embraces  the  inner  truths  of 
Christianity,  in  common  with  all  the  mystic  teaching. 
But  the  origin  of  the  degree  and  all  its  symbols  and 
legends  were  derived  from  the  Ancient  Mysteries,  and 
to  call  the  degree  a  Christian  institution,  as  do  Hutch- 
inson  and  Oliver,  is  erroneous.  Dr.  Mackey,  in 
speaking  of  this  tendency  to  Christianize  Masonry, 
says,  "We  find  Christian  Masonic  writers  indulging 
in  it  almost  to  an  unwarrantable  excess,  and  by  the 
extent  of  their  sectarian  interpretations  materially  af- 
fecting the  cosmopolitan  character  of  the  institution. 
This  tendency  to  Christianization  has,  in  some  in- 
stances, been  so  universal,  and  'has  prevailed  for  so 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  207 

long  a  period,  that  certain  symbols  and  myths  have 
been,  in  this  way,  so  deeply  and  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  Christian  element  as  to  leave  those  who  have 
not  penetrated  into  the  cause  of  this  peculiarity,  in 
doubt  whether  they  should  attribute  to  the  symbol  an 
ancient  or  a  modern  and  Christian  origin.  .  .  It  is 
in  this  way  that  Masonry  has,  by  a  sort  of  inevitable 
process  (when  we  look  to  the  religious  sentiment  of 
the  interpreters),  been  Christianized.  .  .  I  do  not 
object  to  the  system  when  the  interpretation  is  not 
strained.  .  .  all  that  I  contend  for  is,  that  such  in- 
terpretations are  modern,  and  that  they  do  not  belong 
to,  although  they  may  often  be  deduced  from,  the  an- 
cient system."  (The  Symbolism  of  Freemasonry, 
Mackey,  pp.  238,  246.) 

THE  SPRIG  OP  ACACIA. 

In  all  the  Ancient  Mysteries  there  were  sacred 
plants  which  were  symbols  of  Initiation.  The  myrtle 
was  used  in  the  Mysteries  of  Greece,  the  areca  in  the 
Egyptian  Mysteries,  the  mistletoe  in  the  Druidical 
Mysteries,  the  lotus  in  the  Indian  Rites,  the  lettuce  in 
the  Mysteries  of  Adonis,  etc.  Masonry  has  borrowed 
this  custom  from  the  ancients  and  adopted  the  acacia, 
which  was  sacred  among  the  Hebrews,  as  its  mystic 
symbol. 

The  acacia  was  a  sacred  tree  which  grew  abund- 
antly in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem.  The  sanctuary  of 
the  tabernacle  and  the  holy  ark  were  constructed  from 
this  wood,  and  the  tree  ever  afterwards  was  regarded 
as  sacred. 

This  symbol  has  several  meanings,  but  for  our  pur- 
pose we  need  mention  only  the  primary  and  original 


208  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

meaning  which  is  Initiation,  and  its  use  as  a  symbol 
of  immortality  and  innocence.  These  are  closely  con- 
nected and  must  be  considered  together  to  get  the  full 
meaning  of  the  symbol.  In  olden  days  Initiation  was 
based  upon  innocence;  that  is,  upon  purity  of  life, 
and  the  Initiation  brought  a  realization  of  immor- 
tality. 


THE  RITE  OF  DISCALCEATION. 

This  Rite  refers  to  the  act  of  uncovering  the  feet  on 
approaching  holy  ground.  It  is  a  symbol  of  rever- 
ence, and  was  a  common  practice  among  all  the  na- 
tions of  antiquity.  The  priests  always  offered  sacri- 
fices with  uncovered  feet.  Pythagoras,  instructed  his 
disciples  to  offer  sacrifices  and  worship  with  their 
shoes  off.  The  Mohammedans,  when  about  to  per- 
form their  devotions,  always  leave  their  slippers  at 
the  door  of  the  Mosque.  The  Druids  practiced  the 
same  custom  whenever  they  celebrated  the  sacred 
rites.  The  Peruvians  also  left  their  shoes  on  the 
porch  when  they  entered  the  temple.  Dr.  Oliver  tells 
us  that  "The  same  usage  prevailed  equally  in  India, 
and  the  islands  to  the  west  of  Europe;  and  even  the 
American  savages  thought  that  uncovering  the  feet, 
while  in  the  act  of  devotion,  was  a  sublime  method  of 
paying  honor  to  the  Deity."  (Signs  and  Symbols, 
Oliver,  p.  153.) 

The  Jewish  lawgivers  adopted  this  sign  of  rever- 
ence, and  the  symbolism  has  descended  to  us.  The 
application  of  the  symbol  to  the  third  degree  is  well 
known  to  every  Mason. 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  209 

THE  STONE  OF  FOUNDATION. 

This  is  the  most  important  symbol  of  the  Royal 
Arch  degree.  It  must  not  be  confounded  with  any 
of  the  other  stone  symbols,  such  as  the  corner-stone, 
the  key-stone,  or  the  cape-stone. 

In  the  first  place  we  need  to  understand  that  the 
symbol  is  purely  allegorical.  To  accept  it  in  a  literal 
sense  will  present,  as  Dr.  Mackey  says,  "Absurdities 
and  puerilities  which  would  not  occur  if  the  Stone  of 
Foundation  was  received,  as  it  really  is,  as  a  philo- 
sophical myth,  conveying  a  most  profound  and  beau- 
tiful symbolism.  Read  in  this  spirit,  as  all  the  legends 
of  Masonry  should  be  read,  the  mythical  story  of  the 
Stone  of  Foundation  becomes  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant and  interesting  of  all  the  Masonic  symbols."  (The 
Symbolism  of  Freemasonry,  p.  283.) 

We  have  not  time  to  trace  the  legendary  history  of 
the  Stone  of  Foundation — probably  more  legends  are 
connected  with  this  stone  than  with  any  other  Masonic 
symbol.  The  Masonic  legends  of  the  Stone  of  Foun- 
dation, like  nearly  all  that  are  of  Jewish  origin,  are 
derived  from  the  Jewish  Talmud,  and  owe  their  ori- 
gin to  the  imaginative  genius  of  the  Talmudic  writ- 
ers. But  there  is  this  difference  between  Talmudists 
and  Masons.  The  former  accept  all  these  traditions, 
with  their  puerilities,  anachronisms,  and  absurdities, 
as  historical,  while  the  intelligent  Mason  receives 
them  as  allegories. 

It  would  be  interesting,  did  space  permit,  to  give  in 
full  these  Rabbinical  reveries,  and  also  the  Masonic 
traditions  based  upon  them.  But  I  can  only  outline 
the  tradition. 


210  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  Talmudic  legends  tell  us  that  Enoch  built  a 
subterranean  temple  on  Mount  Moriah,  consisting  of 
nine  vaults  situated  beneath  each  other  and  communi- 
cating by  apertures  left  in  each  vault.  In  the  lowest 
arch  he  deposited  a  cubical  stone,  called  afterwards 
the  Stone  of  Foundation,  on  which  had  been  inscribed 
the  ineffable  name  of  God.  He  then  made  a  door  of 
stone,  with  a  ring  in  it,  and  placed  it  over  the  opening 
of  the  uppermost  arch,  and  covered  it  so  that  it  could 
not  be  seen.  In  the  destruction  of  the  world  by 
the  deluge  all  trace  of  the  subterranean  temple  was 
lost,  but  when  David  was  digging  for  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Temple,  he  discovered,  in  the  low- 
est depths  of  the  excavation,  a  certain  stone  on  which 
the  name  of  God  was  inscribed.  This  stone  he  re- 
moved and  deposited  in  the  Holy  of  Holies.  It 
was  a  favorite  theory  of  the  Talmud  legend  makers 
that  David  laid  the  foundation  upon  which  Solomon 
built  the  temple.  The  Masonic  tradition  is  substan- 
tially the  same  as  the  Rabbinical,  except  that  it  sub- 
stitutes Solomon  for  David  as  the  discoverer  of  the 
stone,  and  makes  him  deposit  it  in  the  crypt  of  the 
temple,  where  it  remained  until  the  foundation  of  the 
second  temple  was  laid,  when  it  was  discovered  and 
placed  in  the  Holy  of  Holies. 

These  legends,  in  the  light  of  historical  narratives, 
would  be,  as  Lee  says,  "so  many  idle  and  absurd  con- 
ceits," as  facts,  but  as  allegories  they  contain  an  im- 
portant symbolism. 

The  symbolism  and  worship  of  stones  in  ancient 
times  wa.s  almost  universal.  The  Greeks  originally 
used  unhewn  stones  of  a  cubical  form  to  represent 
their  Gods.  These  consecrated  stones  were  placed 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  211 

before  the  doors  of  the  houses  in  Athens,  also  in  front 
of  the  temples,  in  the  schools  and  libraries,  and  at 
the  corners  of  the  streets. 

The  Thebans  worshiped  Bacchus  under  the  form  of 
a  square  stone:  Arnobius  says  that  Cybele  was  repre- 
sented by  a  small  stone  of  black  color,  and  Eusebius 
cites  Porphyry  as  saying  that  the  ancients  represented 
the  Deity  by  a  black  stone  because  his  nature  was  ob- 
scure, and  inscrutable.  The  Mohammedans  also  have 
a  black  stone,  which  was  formerly  worshiped  and  is 
still  much  reverenced  by  Musselmen.  The  Druids 
represented  their  Gods  by  cubical  stones,  and  we  also 
find  that  the  early  American  races  worshiped  square 
stones.  These  citations  are  taken  from  Mackey's 
"Symbolism  of  Freemasonry."  They  might  easily 
be  extended,  but  those  given  will  suffice  to  show  that 
everywhere  in  the  ancient  world  cubical  stones  were 
used  as  a  symbol  of  the  Deity. 

These  mystical  stones  were  all  symbolic,  and  the  le- 
gends connected  with  them  allegories.  The  Masonic 
Stone  and  legend  are  no  exceptions;  the  Stone  of 
Foundation  is  but  a  symbol  of  the  Deity. 

THE   LOST   WORD. 

The  symbol  of  the  Lost  Word  and  the  legend  of 
the  search  for  it,  embodies  the  whole  design  of  Free- 
masonry. The  primary  object  of  Freemasonry  is  the 
search  after  Divine  Truth.  The  Word  is  a  symbol 
of  this  Divine  Truth,  and  this  truth)  is  the  key  to  the 
"Science  of  the  Soul."  The  real  Master,  then,  is  one 
learned  in  the  Divine  Science — a  "Moses"  to  lead  the 
neophyte  through  a  wilderness  of  experience,  from 
his  ignorant  self  to  a  knowledge  of  his  true  Self,  a 
conscious  union  with  God. 


212  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

The  symbolism  of  the  Lost  Word  may  be  applied 
to  the  degradation  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries  which 
resulted  in  the  loss  of  the  real  Word — the  knowledge 
of  occult  science.  From  that  time  to  this,  men  have 
ever  been  in  search  of  the  real  Word,  and  although 
but  few  have  been  able  to  regain  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  Mysteries,  others  have  often  caught  glimpses 
of  the  inner  meaning,  which  is  symbolized  by  the 
Substituted  Word.  That  the  symbolism  is  not  well 
understood  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  but  few  Ma- 
sons, if  any,  to-day  possess  the  knowledge  and  power 
implied  in  the  symbols  and  legends  of  the  Order;  for 
this  reason  only  "The  Substitute" — monitorial  expla- 
nation— "is  given  to  the  neophyte  until  he,  perhaps  in 
future  generations,  shall  find  the  True  Word." 

That  Masonry  was  in  search  of  the  meaning  of  this 
symbolic  Word,  is  clearly  proven  by  the  insight  of  the 
Revisionists  in  1717,  and  the  fact  that  Symbolic  Ma- 
sonry did  not  pretend  to  give  the  candidate  the  Lost 
Word.  They  knew  that  the  Word  was  no  mere  name, 
but  a  knowledge  of  occult  science  which  could  only 
be  attained  by  soul  development.  Real  Mastership 
must  again  be  realized  before  the  Lost  Word  can  be 
found,  and  such  realization  must  of  necessity  be  the 
experience  of  each  individual  brother  by  whom  it  is 
found. 

The  use  made  of  the  tradition  of  the  recovery  of 
the  Lost  Word,  and  its  impartation  in  the  Royal 
Arch  degree,  shows  that  the  later  degree  makers  little 
realized  the  meaning  of  the  symbolism.  They  mis- 
took the  symbol  for  the  thing  symbolized.  The 
Royal  Arch  degree  can  only  give  the  symbol.  The 
real  Word,  which  holds  the  inner  meaning  and  the 


The  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry  213 

power  of  the  symbol,  is  still  a  mystery.  To  under- 
stand this  mystic  symbol,  and  all  that  it  implies,  is  to 
possess  the  key  to  the  science  of  sciences — the  real 
Knowledge  or  Word  of  Power. 

CONCLUSION. 

We  will  now  bring  this  series  of  lectures  to  a  close. 
We  have  seen  that  Masonry  is  modeled  on  the  An- 
cient Mysteries,  and  derives  its  important  symbols 
and  legends  from  that  source.  Is  this  a  mere  coinci- 
dence? Was  there  meant  to  be  only  a  similarity  in 
outward  form?  We  cannot  so  believe;  the  analogy 
is  far  too  close.  The  men  who  formulated  the  ritual 
very  well  knew  what  they  were  doing.  We  believe 
that  the  secret  vaults  contain  jewels  not  yet  discov- 
ered, and  it  should  be  the  work  of  every  true  Mason 
to  search  diligently  for  "More  Light."  To  discover  the 
full  meaning  of  the  glyphs  and  allegories  is  to  revive 
the  Ancient  Wisdom,  the  Secret  Doctrine  of  An- 
tiquity, the  real  Lost  Word.  That  such  Wisdom 
once  existed  will  not  be  denied  by  any  intelligent  Ma- 
son, for  the  whole  superstructure  of  the  Order  is 
based  upon  the  traditions  of  its  existence.  Dr.  Buck 
says,  "Instead  of  being  an  imitation  of  the  Mysteries 
of  Antiquity,  Masonry  should  become  their  Restora- 
tion and  Perpetuation  through  the  coming  centuries, 
not  by  relaxing  its  discipline,  or  changing  its  ritual, 
but  by  deepening  the  learning,  intensifying  the  zeal 
and  elevating  the  aim  of  every  Brother  throughout 
the  world."  (Mystic  Masonry,  Buck,  p.  79.) 

We  have  seen  that  the  Masters  of  old  were  true 
Occultists — Masters  of  Divine  Science.  Masonry  has 
preserved  for  us  the  names  that  indicate  the  reality  of 


214  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry 

occult  knowledge  and  power  in  the  Perfect  and  Sub- 
lime Master,   Prince  Adept,   Sublime   Prince   of  the 
Royal  Secret,  etc.     If  these  names  do  not  imply  what 
I  have  suggested  they  are  a  mere  farce  and  should  be 
abolished.     That  they  are  empty  titles  to-day  all  will 
agree ;  many  having  recognized  this  fact,  are  calling 
for  their  abolition.     But  I  hold  that  instead  of  abol- 
ishing the  titles  we  should  endeavor  to  make  them 
stand,  in  fact,  for  what  in  name  they  indicate.     This 
would  be  in  line  with  the  ancient  tradition — a  recov- 
ery of  the  real  Lost  Word,  the  key  to  the  Science  of 
Knowledge.     Every  Mason  should  labor  assiduously 
for  the  realization  of  this  ideal.     Let  us  not  be  con- 
tent with  the  mere  rudiments  of  our  philosophy.  "That 
skill,"  says  Dr.  Mackey,  "which  consists  in  repeating 
with  fluency  and  precision,  the  ordinary  lectures,  in 
complying  with  all  the  ceremonial  requisitions  of  the 
ritual,  or  the  giving,  with  sufficient  accuracy,  the  ap- 
pointed modes  of  recognition,  pertains   only  to  the 
very  rudiments  of  the  masonic  science."     (Symbolism 
of  Freemasonry,  p.  310.)  There  are  many  to-day  who 
are  not  satisfied  with  these  preliminary  acquirements, 
and  the  cry  for  "More  Light"  is  being  heard  in  every 
quarter  of  the  Masonic  world.     Intelligent   Masons 
are  beginning  to  realize  that  there  is  something  more 
in  our  symbols  and  legends,  and  they  are  seeking  their 
inner  and  ultimate  meaning. 

Let  us  aid  in  this  work  by  making  our  Lodges 
schools,  our  labor  study,  our  wages  learning,  thus 
may  we  attain  that  knowledge  of  Divine  Truth  which 
shall  truly  make  us  Master  Masons. 

So  mote  it  be. 


MASONIC 

AND 
KINDRED    BOOKS 


In  the  Quarries. 

There  lie  many  gems  of  eloquence,  many  sparkling  rays  of  genius, 
many  practical  thoughts  and  expressions,  which  if  brought  to  the 
surface  would  prove  of  essential  service  to  the  Craft.  These  val- 
uable treasures  should  not  be  left  to  lie  in  the  rubbish  and  be 
covered  with  the  dust  of  ages  and  forgotten.  These  writings  of 
the  wisest  and  best  Masonic  scholars,  words  of  wisdom  expressed 
by  men  of  age  and  experience,  ought  to  be  garnered  into  store- 
houses where  all  can  have  access  whence  to  draw  "more  light" 
to  illuminate  the  pathway  of  the  worker  in  the  Masonic  quarries. 
A  library  of  rich  treasures  of  Craft  literature,  would  prove  of 
essential  benefit  to  the  seeker  after  knowledge,  and  would  be  to 
him  a  school  of  instruction,  whence  he  could  derive  inspiration  as 
refreshing  as  that  to  the  weary  traveler  who  slakes  his  thirst  at  the 
fountain  of  sparkling  waters. — Comps.  George  J.  Gardner  and 
Charles  T.  Mitchell. — Cor.  Report  Grand  Chapter,  New  York,  1890. 

Directions  for  Ordering. 

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All  foods  are  guaranteed  to  be  as  represented. 


MASONIC    HISTORY 

and 
VALUABLE    LITERATURE 

Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry.  The  Mysteries- 
"Egyptian,  Hindu,  Persian,  Druidical,  Gothic.  Grecian,  Jewish  and 
Christian,  their  Origin  and  Objects;  the  Meaning  of  True  Initiation, 
Origin  and  History  of  Freemasonry,  Knights  Templars,  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  and  the  Symbols  and  Legends  of  Masonry; 
in  12  Lectures,  given  in  Pullman  Memorial  Church,  Albion,  N.  Y., 
Rev.  Charles  H.  Vail,  32°.  Over  200  pages.  Extra  fine  binding, 

silk  cloth  and  gilt  stamps.  No.  22056 $1.00 

Paper  22060 75 

Ancient  Mystic  Oriental  Masonry.  Its  Teachings,  Rules, 
Laws  and  Present  Usages  which  govern  the  Order  at  the  present 
day.  Dr.  R.  Swinburne  Clymer.  Cloth,  No.  22086 1.50 

Ancient  Constitutions  of  Freemasons.  Verbatim  copy  of 
the  original  edition  of  1723,  containing  the  History,  Laws,  Charges, 
Orders,  Regulations  and  Usages,  together  with  a  collection  of  old 
Masonic  Songs  and  Music.  Anderson.  (An  orignal  in  good 
condition  is  worth  $65.00.)  No.  22081 1.00 

Antiquities  of  Freemasonry.  Comprising  Illustrations  of  the 
Five  Grand  Periods  of  Masonry,  from  the  Creation  of  the  World 
to  the  Dedication  of  King  Solomon's  Temple;  including  chapters  on 
Masonic  Tradition,  Masonry  from  the  Creation  to  the  time  of 
Enoch,  Origin  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  Masonry  from  Enoch  to  the 
Deluge,  Idolatrous  Mysteries  as  contrasted  with  Freemasonry, 
Masonry  from  the  Deluge  to  Isaac,  Symbolic  Instruction,  Masonry 
from  Isaac  to  the  Deliverance  from  Egyptian  Captivity,  Five  Points 
of  Fellowship,  Masonry  from  the  Deliverance  to  the  Dedication  of 
King  Solomon's  Temple.  Illustrated.  Rev.  George  Oliver,  D.  D.  Blue 
cloth,  gilt.  51/2x8 1/4,  242  Pgs,  No.  22091 1.50 

Cyclopedia  of  Fraternities,  The.  Including  the  Origin,  Pur- 
poses, Growth,  History  and  Statistics  of  600  or  more  societies.  By 
Albert  C.  Stevens  assisted  by  more  than  a  1000  members  of  various 
Orders.  Complete  in  one  Vol.,  468  pgs.  Illustrated  by  Charts 
and  Maps.  Cloth,  No.  22411 ..4.50 


Egypt  the  Cradle  of  Ancient  Masonry.  Comprising  a  His- 
tory of  Egypt,  with  a  comprehensive  and  authentic  account  of  the 
Antiquity  of  Masonry,  the  result  of  many  years  of  personal  investi- 
gation and  exhaustive  research  in  India,  Persia,  Syria  and  the 
Valley  of  the  Nile.  Norman  F.  de  Clifford.  Beautifully  illustrated, 
Art  Canvass  binding,  2  vol.,  9x12.  644  pgs,  No.  22421 ....  6.75 
Half  American  Morocco,  2  vol.,  "  No.  22423 ....  7.50 

Full  American  Morocco,  2  vol.,"  "  "  No.  22424....  10.00 
Full  Persian  Morocco,  1  vol.,  No.  22425 ....  10.00 

Egyptian  Symbols,  A  Comparison  with  those  of  theHebrews. 
Including  Principle  of  Symbology,  Application  to  Egyptian  Symbols, 
to  the  Symbols  of  Color  and  to  the  Symbols  of  the  Bible.  A  clear, 
concise  exposition  of  a  most  interesting  subject,  by  Frederick  Portal. 
Translated  from  the  French,  by  John  W .  Simons.  Illustrated. 

No.  22381 1.00 

Encyclopedia.  By  A.  G.  Mackey,  D.  D.  Revised  and  enlarged 
with  new  Subjects,  Pronouncing  Dictionary.  Masonic  Scripture 

Names  etc.       C.  T.  McClenachan.        Cloth  No.  22401 4.50 

Library  Sheep,  No.  22402 6.00 

Half  Russia,  Gilt  Top,  No.  22405 6.50 

Full  Morocco,  No.  22404 8.00 

Two  Vol.  Edition,  No.  22406 11.00 

Genius  of  Freemasonry,  The,  and  the  20th  Century  Crusade. 
For  the  good  of  Masonry,  and  in  the  interest  of  Freedom  and 
Fraternity,  Light,  Liberty  and  Love;  against  Ignorance,  Superstition 
and  Fear,  Despotism  and  Jesuitism.  J.  D.  Buck.  Cloth,  bound. 

339  pgs.No.-22656 1.00 

History  and  Cyclopedia,  Illustrated.  An  Account  of  the 
Rise  and  Progress  of  Freemasonry.  Definitions  of  Technical 
Terms  used  by  the  Fraternity;  also  "A  Complete  Dictionary  of 
Symbolic  Masonry"  George  Oliver,  D.  D.  and  Robert  Macoy,  33°, 

717  pgs,  222  engravings.    Full  Art  Canvass,  No.  22391 2.75 

Library  Sheep,  Marble  Edge,  No.  22392 3.00 

Half  American  Russia,  Gilt  Top,  No.  22395 3.25 

Half  American  Morocco,  Full  Gilt,  No.  22393 3.50 

Full  American  Russia,  Full  Gilt,  No.  22397 4.25 

Full  American  Morocco,  Full  Gilt,  No.  22394 5.75 

Full  Persian  Morocco,  Full  Gilt,  No.  22398 8.50 

History  of  Initiation.  In  Twelve  Lectures:  General  Introduc- 
tion, History  of  Initiation  in  Hindustan,  Philosophy  of  the  Eastern 
Mysteries,  Initiation  in  Persia,  Initiation  in  Greece,  Ceremonies  of 
Initiation  into  the  Mysteries  of  Bacchus,  the  Celtic  Mysteries,  Cere- 


monies  in  Britain,  Symbols  and  Doctrines  of  the  Druids,  Gothic 
Mysteries,  Doctrines  and  Morality,  History  of  Initiation  in  America, 
comprising  the  Rites,  Ceremonies  and  Doctrines  of  all  the  Secret 
and  Mysterious  Institutions  of  the  Ancient  World.  Rev.  George 
Oliver,  D.  D.  Illustrated,  218  pgs.  Blue  cloth  and  gilt  stamps, 

5'/4x8!/4,  gilt.    No.  22801 1.50 

History  of  Freemasonry,  from  the  Building  of  the  House  of 
the  Lord,  and  its  progress  throughout  the  civilized  world,  down  to 
the  present  time;  to  which  is  added  a  History  of  the  Craft  in  the 
United  States,  J.  W.  S.  Mitchell,  M.  D.,  P.  G.  M.,  P.  G.  H.  P., 
and  P.  E.  C.  Two  magnificent  volumes  of  1500  pgs.,  royal  octavo, 
6V^x9V2  inches,  bound  in  Emblematic  Blue  Silk  Linen.  Embossed 

with  jewels  in  silver,  complete,  No.  22781 4.00 

Sheep,  Library  style,  No.  22782 5.00 

Morocco  (dark  red)  Jewels  in  gold,  No.  22784 6.00 

Historical  Landmarks,  Geo.  Oliver.  The  body  of  this  work  is 
of  itself  one  of  the  greatest  contributions  to  Masonic  literature; 
while  the  annotations  on  the  original  text,  by  Dr.  Oliver,  add  im- 
mensely to  its  value.  There  is  a  fine  steel  likeness  of  the  author 
expressly  engraved  for  the  American  edition,  besides  the  many 
beautiful  illustrations  with  which  this  great  masterpiece  of  Masonic 
writing  abounds.  Two  volumes  in  one.  1000  pages,  6'/2  x  9'/2 

No.  22723 4.00 

History  of  the  Knights  Templar.  C.  G.  Addison.  A 
condensed  narrative  or  History  of  the  Great  Crusades;  a  thrilling 
account  of  the  longest  and  hardest  struggle  for  freedom  of  Christian 
principles  that  the  world  has  ever  known.  No  such  zeal  and 
ardor  have  ever  been  recorded;  no  such  battles  have  ever  been 
fought  in  ancient  or  modern  times;  no  such  persecutions,  martyr- 
dom and  suffering  for  any  cause  as  those  endured  by  the  Crusa- 
ders to  whom  we  owe  our  beautiful  system  of  Templarism. 

The  work  is  also  a  record  of  events  in  connection  with  the 
Orders,  from  those  strenuous  times  to  the  present  date,  containing 
the  proceedings  of  Triennial  Encampments  down  to  and  including 
the  30th,  at  Saratoga  in  1907.  Some  of  these  original  proceedings 
are  very  scarce,  and  only  to  be  found  in  rare  collections. 

Full  art  canvas    No.  22811 3.25 

Library  sheep.    No.  22812 3.50 

Half  American  Russia.  No.  22818 3.75 

Half  American  Morocco.  No.  22813 4.00 

Full  American  Russia.  No.  22819 4.75 

Full  American  Morocco.  No.  22814 5.00 

Full  Persian  Morocco.    No.  22817. .  .  .8.75 


History  of  Freemasonry,  A  Concise.  Robt.  F.  Gould- 
A  most  reliable  comprehensive  and  valuable  book.  559  pgs.  36 
Columns  of  index.  Nearly  200  illustrations,  many  of  them  beau- 
tiful half  tone  engravings.  Cloth.  No.  22771 2.75 

Library  Sheep,  No.  22772 4.00 

Half  Moroco,  No.  22773 3.75 

Full  Morocco,  No.  22774 4.75 

Levant  Morocco,  )No.  22775 8.50 

Irish  Prince  and  Hebrew  Prophet,  a  Masonic  Tale  of  the 
Captive  Jews  and  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  A  most  interest- 
ing book.  By  the  author  of  "The  Jericho  Papers. "  300  pgs., 

6  x  9!/2,   No.  23001 1.50 

Lexicon  of  Freemasonry,  containing  a  definition  of  all  its  Com- 
municable Terms,  notices  of  its  History,  Traditions,  and  Antiqui- 
ties, and  an  account  of  all  the  Rites  and  Mysteries  of  the  Ancient 
World.  A.  G.  Mackey,  526  pgs.  No.  23161 3.00 

Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Mystic  Tie.  Consisting  of 
absorbing  Masonic  tales — romantic,  tragic  and  humorous;  a  few  of 
which  are:  The  Masonic  Breastpin,  a  thrilling  Indian  story;  Death 
on  the  Sierra  Nevada;  Catherine  Williams  or  Husband  and  Wife; 
The  Church  Trial,  or  "Jynin,"  the  Masons;  Stone-Squarer's  Lodge 
No.  91;  The  Broken  Tessera;  Three  Buds  of  Sweet  Briar;  The 
Echo  and  the  Flute;  and  more  than  a  hundred  other  stories, 
sketches,  anecdotes,  opinions,  songs  and  poems,  illustrating  the 
character  and  tendency  of  Freemasonry,  including  Robert  Burns' 
Farewell  to  Masons.  Rob.  Morris  and  Albert  G.  Mackey,  624  pgs. 
illustrated,  beautifully  bound  in  blue  and  gold.  No.  23181 ....  2.50 

Lodge  Goat  and  Goat  Rides,  The.    More  than  a  thousand 

anecdotes,  incidents  and  illustrations  from  the  humorous  side  of 
Lodge  life.     Compiled  and  edited  by  James  Pettibone.     600  pgs. 

Cloth.    No.  23191 2.00 

Low  Twelve.  Edward  S.  Ellis,  A.  M.  A  book  of  thrilling 
and  impressive  stories  of  Masonic  bravery  and  loyalty,  told  with 
that  accuracy  and  charming  style  which  has  given  Mr.  Ellis  such 
world-wide  popularity.  Half-tone  Illustrations.  No.  23221 ....  1.50 
Full  Leather,  a  fine  gift  book.  No.  23224 2.50 

Lost  Word  Found,  The.  "  The  most  compelling  bit  of  literature 
yet  presented  by  Dr.  Buck,  and  unlike  anything  ever  written 
concerning  the  mystery  of  the  Lost  Word."  J.  D.  Buck.  32* 

No.  23196..  .50 


Man  of  Mount  Moriah,  The.  From  Symbolism  and  Prophecy 
to  Sacrifice  and  Fulfillment — a  wonderfully  interesting  story  of  the 
Grand  Architect  at  the  Building  of  King  Solomon's  Temple. 
C.  M.  Boutelle.  Beautifully  illustrated,  followed  by  forty  pages  of 
the  best  Masonic  and  O.  E.  S.  poetry,  including  Esther,  a  sacred 
drama.  334  pgs.  Edition  after  edition  has  been  sold,  which  en- 
ables us  to  greatly  increase  the  quality  and  style  of  the  book  for 
serviceable  wear  and  richness  of  appearance.  A  choice  gift  book. 

Half  Morocco  and  full  gilt.     No.  23488 4.00 

Half  Russia  and  full  gilt.     No.  23487 3.60 

Half  Morocco,  marble  edge.     No.  23483 2.80 

Half  Russia,  marble  edge.     No.  23486 2.80 

Full   Cloth,  marble  edge.     No.  23481 2.40 

Heavy  Paper  Sides,  marble  edge.     No.  23485 1.60 

Masonic  Gem.  A  collection  of  Masonic  Odes,  Poems,  etc.  A 
sketch  of  Esoteric  and  Exoteric  Masonry.  Rev.  A.  E.  Alford. 
Illustrated.  No.  23541 50 

Masonic  Sketch  Book,  or  Gleanings  from  the  Harvest  Field  of 
Masonic  Literature.  By  E.  du  Laurans.  This  book  covers  a 
great  variety  of  subjects  and  includes  some  of  the  choicest  work 
of  our  best  Masonic  writers,  as  well  as  many  valuable  and  inter- 
esting articles  by  the  author.  Full  gilt  sides  and  edges.  345  pgs. 
6x9  Illustrated.  No.  23291 2.00 

Masonic  Token.  William  T.  Anderson.  A  gift  book  for  all 
seasons.  Full  gilt  sides  and  edges.  Embellished  with  upwards 
of  thirty  illustrations,  the  letter-press  being  from  the  pens  of  a 
large  number  of  our  most  gifted  authors;  especially  intended  for 
Masonic  home  reading.  289  pgs.  No.  23311 2.25 

Memphis,  Ancient  and  Primitive  Rite.  Origin,  Introduction 
and  Summary  of  the  History;  Excerpts  from  the  Landmarks  of  the 
Order,  Institution  in  America,  Manifestos,  Withdrawal  from  Orient 
of  France,  Treaty,  Confederation,  Present  Status,  Degrees,  Seals, 
Emblems  etc.  J.A.Gotlieb  M.A.,  M.D.,  LLD.  No.  22821  1.00 

Mission  of  Masonry,  The.  Rev.  Madison  C.  Peters.  Cloth. 

No.  23356 50 

Paper.  No.  23360 .35 

Morals  and  Dogma,  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite  from  the 
1st,  to  33d  Degree,  by  Albert  Pike,  Grand  Commander.  This 
valuable  work  is  the  result  of  years  of  study,  translations  from 
ancient  and  modern  languages,  and  thousands  of  dollars  expendi- 
ture by  the  author.  The  Masonic  and  Theosophical  student  will 


find  in  it  a  mine  of  knowledge  that  can  be  found  nowhere  else, 
and  heretofore  within  the  reach  of  but  few.  The  greatest  book 
ever  written  or  printed  about  Free  Masonry.  861  pgs.  6V^x9V^. 
Cloth  binding  with  gold  stamps.  No.  23361 5.25 

Mystic  Masonry.  Explains  the  Symbols  of  Freemasonry  and 
their  connection  with  the  Greater  Mysteries  of  Antiquity,  in  which, 
for  centuries,  have  been  concealed  the  grandest  achievements  in 
knowledge  ever  gained  by  man,  that,  through  the  efforts  of  Free- 
masons, may  be  and  are  being  understood  and  restored  to  the 
world.  J.  D.  Buck,  32°.  Illustrated.  260  pgs.  No.  23421 1.50 

Poetry  of  Freemasonry.  Rob.  Morris,  L.  L.  D.,  Masonic  Poet 
Laureate,  with  Portrait  and  Biography  of  the  Author,  by  his  son. 
Introduction  by  the  Author,  and  his  favorite  poem — "We  Meet  Up- 
on the  Level,  and  Part  Upon  the  Square" — in  the  original  words 
and  later  changes,  followed  by  over  500  poems,  notes  and  illustra- 
tions, 400  pgs.  Of  finest  book  paper.  Beautifully  embossed 

cover,  8  x  lOVfc  inches.     No.  23281 2.75 

Gold  and  silver  leaf  stamping,  gilt  edges.     No.  23285 3.50 

Rose  Croix,  The.  A  story  of  Two  Hemispheres.  A  most 
interesting  novel.  David  Tod  Gilliam.  369  pgs.  No.  23946 . .  1.60 

Rosicrucian  Cosmo-conception,  The,  or  Christian  Occult 
Science.  An  Elementary  Treatise  upon  man's  Past  Evolution, 
Present  Constitution  and  Future  Development.  By  Max  Heindel, 
who  includes  a  note  of  thanks  to  Dr.  Rudolf  Steiner  and  Dr.  Alma 
Von  Brandts.  "Prove  all  things." — Paul.  5^/2  x  7^/2  536  pages 
14  of  Index,  Color  plate,  Illustrations,  Diagrams,  etc.  With  Red 
under  Gilt  Edges,  Green  Cloth,  Gold  and  Color  Stamps.  No. 
23896  (A  Master  Work,  worth  many  times  its  cost)  ....  1.15 

Rosicrucians,  The.     Their  Teachings  and  Mysteries  according 
to  the  Manifestoes  issued  at  various  times  by  the  Fraternity  itself. 
Also    some   of    their  Secret  Teachings  and  the  Mystery  of  the 
Order   explained.     Bro.   /?.   Swinburne    Clymer.     304    pgs. 
No.  23906 3.00 

Rosicrucians,  Their  Rites  and  Mysteries.  Founded  on 
their  manifestoes,  and  on  facts  and  documents  collected  from  the 
writings  of  initiated  brethren.  Hargrove  Jennings  Illustrated. 
464  pages.  6x9  No.  23881 3.50 

Sacred  Mysteries.  Freemasonry  in  times  anterior  to  the  Temple 
of  Solomon.  Relics  of  Mayas  and  Quiches,  11,500  years  ago, 
their  relation  to  the  Sacred  Mysteries  of  Egypt,  Greece,  Chaldea 
and  India.  Augustus  Le  Plonfeon.  No.  23956 2.50 


Scarlet  Book  of  Freemasonry*  Contains  an  authentic  and 
thrilling  history  of  the  seizure,  imprisonment  and  martyrdom  of 
Free  Masons  and  Knights  Templars  from  A.  D.  1275  to  the  pres- 
ent time;  history  of  the  life  of  the  renowned  philosopher,  Pytha- 
goras, his  extraordinary  career  and  tragic  death;  an  account  of 
the  late  remarkable  discoveries  of  Masonic  emblems  under  the 
pedestal  of  an  ancient  obelisk  in  Egypt,  together  with  a  case  of 
recent  persecution  and  death  in  that  country;  also  an  account  of 
the  recent  discovery  of  an  ancient  temple  in  Mexico  with  Masonic 
emblems.  Beautifully  illustrated.  548  pages.  6'/2  x  9 

In  fine  satin  cloth  and  gilt.     No.  23981 3.00 

Morocco,  gilt  edges,  very  rich.     No.  23984 4.00 

Signet  of  King  Solomon,  or  the  Freemason's  Daughter. 
A.  C.  Arnold.  A  charming  and  fascinating  story  of  a  "Knight  of 
the  Temple"  in  modern  times.  Beautifully  illustrated.  288  pgs., 
6  x  9'/2.  No.  23976 1.50 

Signs  and  Symbols.  Dr.  George  Oliver.  Illustrated  and  ex- 
plained in  a  series  of  twelve  lectures.  No.  23986 1.50 

Singular  Story  of  Freemasonry,  The.  A  most  attractive 
concise  and  interesting  little  book.  W.  B  Sibley.  4x6,  100  pgs. 
No.  23916 75 

Solomon's  Temple.  Its  History  and  Structure.  Rev.  W.  Shaw 
Caldecott,  No.  24026 2.50 

Spirit  of  Freemasonry.  Comprising  Lectures  on  the  State  of 
Freemasonry  in  the  Eighteenth  Century,  the  Design,  Rites,  Cere- 
monies and  Institutions  of  the  Ancients,  Nature  of  the  Lodge, 
Furniture,  Apparel  and  Jewels  of  Masons,  Temple  at  Jerusalem 
Geometry,  Master  Mason's  Order,  Secrecy  of  Masons,  Charity, 
Brotherly  Love,  Occupations,  and  a  Corollary ;  followed  by  an 
Appendix  containing  Charges,  Addresses  and  Orations  on  various 
Masonic  occasions.  William  Hutchinson.  With  copious  notes, 
critical  and  explanatory,  of  great  value,  by  the  Rev.  George  Oliver. 
No.  24021 150 

Swedenborg  Rite,  and  the  Great  Masonic  Leaders  of  the 
Eighteenth  Century.  The  Masonic  career  of  Swedenborg  and 
his  followers,  and  the  relation  between  the  symbolic  system  of 
Swedenborgianism  and  Modern  Freemasonry.  Samuel  Beswick. 
No.  24051 1.00 

Symbolism  of  Freemasonry.  Illustrating  and  Explaining  its 
Science  and  Philosophy,  its  Legends,  Myths  and  Symbols.  Mackey. 
360Pgs..  No.24071 2.25 


Symbol  of  Glory,  showing  the  Object  and  End  of  Freemasonry, 
in  a  valedictory  and  thirteen  lectures :  Masonic  Science,  Poetry 
and  Philosophy,  Knowledge,  Doctrines,  Circle  and  Parallel  Mean- 
ing, Great  Lights,  and  Masonic  Ladder,  Theological  Virtues  and 
Masonry,  Clouded  Canopy  and  Ladder  Symbols,  Application, 
Blazing  Star,  Symbol  of  Glory,  etc.  Rev .  George  Oliver.  298  pgs., 
cloth,  black  and  gold  stamps.  No.  24061 1.50 

Tradition,  Origin  and  Early  History  of  Freemasonry. 
An  elaborate  account  of  the  traditions  which  form  the  basis  of  the 
degrees  in  Freemasonry  and  their  coincidence  with  the  Ancient 
Mysteries;  also  the  origin  of  the  Society  of  Operative  Masons  and 
its  transformation  into  a  Speculative  Fraternity;  with  a  brief  history 
of  the  Order,  and  its  rituals  and  customs.  By  A.  T.  C.  Pierson 
and  Godfrey  W.  Steinbrenner.  540  pgs.  Q^/2  x  9'/4  Illustrated. 

No.  24213 2.50 

Washington  and  His  Masonic  Compeers.  An  interesting 
and  reliable  work,  abounding  in  facts  and  incidents  pertaining  to 
Washington's  Masonic  life.  A  part  of  his  history,  entirely  omitted 
by  most  of  his  biographers,  brought  to  light  by  diligent  research 
among  the  Masonic  records  and  documents  of  the  past  century. 
Containing  fine  Masonic  portrait  of  Washington  and  numerous 
other  illustrations.  No.  24301 .  ,  , .  1.75 


A  SELECTED  ASSORTMENT  OF  BOORS 

Historical,  Fraternal,  Symbolical,  Mystic,   Astrologic, 

Occult,  Psychic,  Spiritualistic,  Optimistic,  Philosophic, 

Masonic,  New  Thought,  Etc. 

Ahrinziman,  The  Strange  Story  of.  As  told  by  himself, 
after  a  period  of  over  2000  years;  through  the  super-conscious- 
ness of  Anita  Silvani.  The  philosophy  of  this  great  Mystic  and 
Persian  Ruler,  what  Life  hath  taught  him  of  the  soul — on  Earth, 
in  the  Abyss,  and  in  the  Heavens — A  New  Pilgrims  Progress 
Arabian  Nights,  Paradise  Lost,  Wanderings  in  Spirit,  and  Para- 
dise Won.  No  es  on  Obsession  and  Mediumship.  Preface  by 
Frederick  W.  Thurstan  M.  A.  of  Christs  College,  Cambridge. 

"To  each  one  comes  life's  lesson  in  a  different  form:  Let 
him  that  would  learn  the  meaning  of  this  story  attend  to  these 
words  that  he  may  the  better  understand,  and  let  him  that  is  the 
idle  hearer  of  a  tale  pass  them  by."  Two  volumes,  combined 
in  one  book  of  49  chapters.  Illustrated  with  a  portrait  of  Ahr- 
inziman and  a  Vision  in  the  Desert.  284  pages  5|/2  x  7'/2  No. 

22026 1.00 

Altar  in  the  Wilderness,  The.  In  seven  chapters — The  Golden 
Age,  The  Exile,  Life  in  Death,  The  Conflict.  The  Wilderness, 
Illumination,  The  Temple, — representing  the  Seven  Spiritual  Ages 

of  Man.  Ethelbert  Johnson.  Cloth,  No.  24231 50 

Paper,  No.  24235 .25 

Ben  Hur,    a  Tale  of  the  Christ     The  Great  Christian  Drama. 

Gen.  Lew   Wallace.     No.  22076 1.50 

Book  of  the  Master,  The.     A  clue  to  the  mysterious  religion  of 
Ancient  Egypt.      W.  Marsham  Adams.  Cloth,  No.  22166 .  .  .      1.25 
Brotherhood.  Nature's  Law-  Burcham  Harding.   No.  22176       .50 
Brother  of  the  Third  Degree.     An  interesting  and  facinating 
story  of  the  thrilling  experiences  of  an  earnest  occult  student  on 
his  way  upward  to  those  sublime  heights  of  Universal  Love  and  De- 
votion to  Humanity,  attained  only  by  the  true  Initiates  of  the  Great 
White  Brotherhood — a  vivid   picture   of   life  in  the  famous  occult 
schools  of  Paris  and  the  Far  East;   explaining  much  which  has  so 
long  been  veiled  in  mystery.      W.    L.  Carver.     377  pages,  Cloth. 

No.  22161..  1.50 


Constructive  Psychology.  The  Constructive  Principle  of 
Character  Building.  Dr.  J.  D.  Buck.  32°  No.  22296 1.00 

Culture  of  Concentration.  Occult  Powers  and  their  acquire- 
ment. Wm.  Q. Judge.  No.22266 10 

Discovery  of  the  Soul,  The.  Throwing  light  on  the  path  of 
progressive  man;  leading  through  mysticism  to  the  discovery  of 
those  unused  powers  within  the  soul,  which  duly  appropriated 
give  expression  to  the  Divine  in  Man.  Floyd  B.  Wilson. 

No.  22306 1.00 

Harmonies  of  Evolution.  This  work  marks  out  a  new  path  in 
the  treatment  of  the  so-called  Occult  in  Nature,  attempting  to  explain 
rather  than  to  mystify  and  to  illustrate  and  elucidate  the  correlation 
of  spiritual  and  physical  forces  in  Nature,  Florence  Huntley. 

463  pgs.    No.  22716 2.00 

Hermes  and  Plato.  The  mysteries  of  Egypt  and  of  Eleusis. 
Edouard  Share.  No.  22856 1.00 

Initiation,  The  Way  of,  or  How  to  Attain  Knowledge  of  the 
Higher  Worlds.  Rudolf  Steiner,  Ph.  D.  Americanized  from  the  trans- 
lation by  Max  Gsyi.  Notes  by  Edouard  Schure.  A  most  valuable 
and  natural  guide  in  a  matter  between  you  and  yourself.  New 
large  type.  Paper.  No.  24280,  .75  No.  24276 ....  1.00 

Initiation  and  its  Results.  Rudolf  Steiner,  Ph.  D.  A  sequel 
to  the  Way  of  Initiation.  These  works,  in  the  plainest  and  clearest 
way,  give  more  instruction  in  occult  knowledge  than  any  yet 
published.  Mystics,  and  the  Theosophic  Press  indorse  them  in 
the  highest  terms.  New  large  type.  No.  22976 1.00 

In  Tune  with  the  Infinite.  Ralph  Waldo  Trine.  Bound  in 
Japanese  style  or  special  silk.  No.  22996 1.25 

Isis  Unveiled.  About  1500  pages.  Portrait  of  the  Author. 
H.  P.  Blavalsky.  No.  23016  2  Vols.  6x9 7.00 

Josephus.     The  authentic  works  and  life  of  this  great  Jewish  his- 
torian and  celebrated  warrior.     Translated  by  Wm.  Winston,  M.  A. 
1055     pgs.,     attractively     bound     and     illustrated.     7V^x9V^. 
No.  23061 1.75 

Kingdom  of  Love,  The.  Henry  Frank.  Beautifully  ex- 
pressed, wholesome,  helpful  and  inspiring  essays.  245  pgs. 

No.  23086 1.00 

Koran,  The.  Commonly  called  the  Alkoran  of  Mohammed  (the 
Mohammedian  Bible).  559  pgs.  No.  23071 1.50 

Kirshna  and  Orpheus,  the  Great  Initiates  of  the  East  and  West. 
Edouard Sehure.  No.  23106...  1.25 


Last  Great  Initiate,  Jesus  the.  Edouard  Schure.  The  Essenes, 
St.  John,  etc.  No.  23056 1.00 

Life  and  Writings  of  Dr.  Rob't.  Fludd,  the  English 
Rosicrucian.  /.  B.  Craven.  Cloth.  No.  23206 2.50 

Light  on  the  Path.  A  treatise  (or  the  personal  use  of  those 
who  are  unfamiliar  with  the  Eastern  Wisdom  but  desire  to  enter 

within  its  influence.  C.  M.  Cloth.  No  23166 50 

Leather.  No.  24167 75 

Man  Limitless.  "A  study  of  the  possibilities  of  man  when  act- 
ing under  infinite  guidance  with  which  he  is  in  absolute  touch." 

Floyd  B.  Wilson.    No.  23531 1.25 

Mastery  of  Mind  in  the  Making  of  a  Man,  The.    A 

searching  analysis  and  exposition  of  the  power  of  mind  in    body- 
building and  the  forming  of  personality.     Henry  Frank.     250  pgs. 

No.  23306 1.00 

Myrtle  Baldwin.  A  novel  of  great  interest,  especially  to  the 
Fraternity,  as  it  is  full  of  Masonic  principles.  Bro.  Charles  Clark 
Mann,  author  of  The  Hermet,  etc.  510  pgs.  5^/4x7^/2.  Illus- 
trated, green  cloth,  black  and  gold  stamps.  An  excellent  gift. 

No.  23586 1.50 

Mystical    Life    of    Ours,    This.    Ralph   Waldo  Trine. 
No.  24236 1.00 

Occult  Science  in  India,  and  among  the  Ancients,  with  an 
account  of  their  Mystic  Initiations  and  History  of  Spiritualism. 

Louis  Jacolliot.   Cloth.    No.  23715 2.50 

Occultist's      Travels,      An.      Willy    Reichel.      Cloth. 
No.  33726 1.00 

Paths  to  Power.  "The  struggling  will  gain  strength — the 
doubting  assurance — and  the  despairing  hope,  from  this  book." 
Fifteenth  edition.  Floyd  B.  Wilson.  No.  23796 1.00 

Philosophy  of  Fire,  The.  "There  is  nothing  new  under  the 
sun."  Fire  Philosophy  is  the  foundation  of  all  True  Initiation,  and 
all  Mystic  and  Occult  Fraternities,  as  well  as  the  Secret  Doctrine 
and  Ancient  Mysteries.  Atlantis,  its  Beauty,  and  its  Fall.  The 
Templars,  and  Fire  Philosophers.  The  Therapeutae  and  Essenes 
and  their  Initiation.  Second  and  very  much  enlarged  edition, 
contains  the  Rosicrucian  Fire  Philosophy  according  to  Jennings. 
R.  S.  Clymer.  About  250  pgs.  Silk  Cloth.  Symbol  in  gold. 

No.  23806..  1.50 


Pythagoras  and  the  Delphic  Mysteries.    EJouard  Schare. 

No.  23811 1.50 

Queen  Moo  and  the  Egyptian  Sphinx.  A  most  interesting 
and  valuable  work — the  result  of  extensive  research  among  the 
ruined  palaces,  tombs  and  temples,  and  careful  study  of  the  signs, 
symbols  and  ancient  manuscripts  of  the  Mayas  of  prehistoric 
Yucatan  ;  showing  evidences  of  a  civilization  antedating,  by  cen- 
turies, that  of  the  Eastern  Hemisphere,  and  giving  a  reasonable 
solution  of  that  mystery  of  the  ages — the  Origin  and  Meaning  of 
the  Egyptian  Sphinx.  Augustus  Le  Plongeon.  Beautifully  illustrated 
with  full  page  half-tone  prints,  from  photographs  taken  by  the 
author  while  exploring  those  ancient  remains.  No.  23851.  Reduced 
from  the  Authors  price  6.00  to 4.75 

Queen  Moo's  Talisman.  The  Fall  of  the  Maya  Empire.  A 
beautiful  Poem  with  Introduction  and  Explanatory  Argu- 
ment. Alice  Le  Plongeon.  Profusely  illustrated.  Cloth. 

No.  23841 1.50 

Rubaiyat  of  Omar  Khayyam,  The.  With  12  full  page  illus- 
trations in  colors  and  tinted  border  designs,  6x9.  Deckel  edge, 
No.  23936  1.25.  Watered  Silk,  No.  23940 2.00 

Limp  Leather,  No.  23937 2.00 

Secret  Doctrine*  The.  The  Synthesis  of  Science,  Religion, 
and  Philosophy.  6x9  About  1500  pgs  with  Index.  Vols.  I 

and  II  No.  24066. . .  10.00  Vol.  Ill  No.  24067. . .  5.00 
Secret  Doctrine,  Abridged.  Hillaid.  No.  24031...  2.00 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  other  Extracts  from  the  New 
Testament.  A  verbatim  translation  from  the  Greek  with  notes  on 
the  Mystical  or  Arcane  Sense.  James  M.  Pryse.  Cloth. 

No.  24076 60 

Servant  in  the  House,  The.  A  beautiful  and  uplifting  drama 

of  Brotherly  Love  Charles  Rann  Kennedy.  No.  23966.. . .  1.25 
Sixth  and  Seventh  Books  of  Moses,  The.  The  wonderful 

arts  of  the  old  wise  Hebrews,  taken  from  the  Mosaic  books  of  the 
Kabbalah  and  the  Talmud,  for  the  good  of  mankind.  100  pgs. 
Paper,  No.  24040 75 

Story  of  the  Other  Wise  Man,  The.  A  beautiful  nar- 
rative. Henry  Van  Dyke.  Exquisitely  printed  and  bound.  Cloth, 
No.  23961,  .50.  and  Limp  Leather.  No.  23962 1.00 

Temple,  The*  Its  Ministry  and  Services  at  the  Time  of  Jesus 
Christ  Rev.  Dr.  EiJerdeim.  308  ptfs.  No.  24201 .....  1.50 


The  Tabernacle.     Its  History  and  Structure.       Rev.   W.  Shaw 

Caldecott.    Cloth,  5!4  x  7'/2,  230  pgs.    No.  24176 1.75 

Thoughts  for  the  Occasion.  A  Manual  of  Historical  Data  and 
Facts,  Helpful  in  Suggesting  Themes  and  in  Outlining  Addresses 
for  the  Observance  of  Timely  or  Special  Occasions  of  the  Ma- 
sonic, Odd  Fellows  and  various  other  Orders.  Compiled  by 

Franklin  Noble,  D.  D.     576  pgs.  cloth.     No.  24216 2.00 

Through  Silence  to  Realization.  This  work  embodies  a 
system  of  instruction  for  mental  growth  and  attainment  of  ideals. 
Floyd  B.  Wilson.  5!/2x71/2.  No.  24241 1.00 

Voice  of  the  Silence*  and  Other  Chosen  Fragments  from  the 
Book  of  the  Golden  Precepts  for  the  Daily  Use  of  Lanoos.  B.  P. 
Blavatsky.  Cloth.  No.  24266,  .50.  Leather.  No.  24267  .75 

W.  J.  COLVILLE'S  BOOKS. 

A  Selection  of  the  Most  Popular  Works  by  This  Great  Author  and  Well 
Known  Lecturer  in  Europe,  America,  and  Australia. 

Ancient  Mystery  and  Modern  Revelation.  A  wonderful 
new  work.  By  W.  J.  Colville. — The  book,  which  will  be  of  con- 
siderable size,  will  aim  to  introduce  selected  gems  from  Oriental 
literature  together  with  philosophical  interpretations  of  the  most 
disputed  Bible  texts,  and  it  will  also  present  highly  condensed 
biographical  accounts  of  the  Esoteric  Schools  of  Antiquity  and  the 
characteristics  of  their  founders.  To  every  liberal-minded  Bible 
student  and  to  all  who  are  investigating  the  psychic  problems  of 
to-day  the  work  as  a  whole  must  appeal  as  one  of  more  than 
average  interest. 

A  rigidly  restricted  subscribers'  edition  will  be  published  as 
soon  as  1,000  subscriptions  have  been  received.  All  who  wish  to 
add  their  names  to  the  roll  are  invited  to  send  $1.00  with  full  name 
and  post-office  address.  Immediately  on  publication  the  book  will 
be  forwarded  postpaid  to  every  subscriber  throughout  the  world. 
Six  copies  to  any  single  address  on  receipt  of  $5.0O. 

Birthdays,  The  Significance  of,  or  Our  Places  in  the  Univer- 
sal Zodiac.  W.  J.  Colville  Leatherette.  No.  22191  .50 
Paper  No.  22195 40 

Dashed   Against    the    Rock.     A    scientific  novel,    illustrated 
with    many    remarkable  diagrams.     W.    J.  Colville.    Cloth. 
No.  22316 75 

Fate  Mastered-Destiny  Fulfilled.  Three  stirring  essays  on 
live  issues.  A  very  tasteful  presentation  volume.  W.  J.  ColvilU. 

Cloth:    No.  22476..  .30 


Glints  of  Wisdom,  or  Helpful  Sayings  for  Busy  Moments.  Ab- 
stracts from  Lectures  by  W.  J.  Colvitte.  An  encyclopedia  of 
psychological  laws  contained  in  an  endless  variety  of  subjects. 
Leatherette,  flexible.  No.  22671.  .40.  Paper  No.  22675  .30 

Health  from  Knowledge;  or  the  Law  of  Correspondences  as 
Applied  to  Healing.  W.  J.  Colville.  Leatherette.  No.  22745  .50 

Life  and  Power  from  Within.  An  excellent  book,  embracing 
the  most  advanced  mental-physical  teaching  and  the  simplest  rules 
for  the  guidance  of  daily  life,  according  to  New  Thought  standards. 

W.  J.  Colville.    Cloth.    No.  23151 75 

Living  Decalogue,  The.  12  Expository  Lectures.  W.  J. 
Colville  Leatherette.  No.  23156 50 

Lectures,  by  W.  J.  Colville,  on  various  subjects :  Atlantis,  The 
Way  of  Initiation,  Initiation  and  its  Results.  Symbolism — Its  use 
and  Value,  etc.  Send  for  list,  each  10^.  3  for 25 

Mental  Therapeutics,  Elementary  Text  Book  of.  Twelve 
Practical  Lessons.  W.  J.  Colville.  No.  22420 25 

Old  and  New  Psychology.  Twenty-four  chapters,  including 
explanatory  essays  on  many  subjects  of  vital  interest  to  all  teachers 
and  students.  W.  J.  Colville.C\oi\i.  No*23766 1.00 

Onesimus  Templeton.     A  vivid  romance,  tracing  the  evolution 
of  a  soul  from  bondage  to  liberty.     W.  J.  Colville.       Cloth. 
No.  23771 50 

Throne  of  Eden,  The.  Twenty-six  chapters  presenting  im- 
portant teachings  entrusted  to  the  writer's  charge ;  also  a  record 
of  extensive  travel  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere;  and  a  rational 
system  of  preventing  as  well  as  healing  diseases.  W.  J.  Colville. 

Cloth.    No.  24186 1.00 

Universal  Spiritualism.  Spirit  Communion  in  all  ages  among 
all  people.  The  work  has  two  distinctive  features:  (1st)  A 
resume  of  the  Spiritual  faith  and  practice  of  Egypt,  India,  Persia, 
Greece,  Rome,  China,  Japan  and  other  ancient  nations,  not  ex- 
cepting Europe,  during  Christian  centuries.  (2nd)  A  summary 
of  recent  experiences  in  America,  Great  Britain,  Australia,  France, 
Germany,  Italy  and  other  modern  lands,  all  tending  to  show  the 
persistent  continuity  of  spiritual  revelation.  Clairvoyance,  Tele- 
pathy and  Psychic  Phenomena  in  general  are  dealt  with  in  sepa- 
rate chapters  at  the  close  of  the  volume,  which  extends  to  352 
pages,  making  it  a  highly  useful  text-book  for  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  question  of  human  immortality.  W.  J.  Colville. 

Cloth.    No.  24256..,  1.00 


JAMES  ALLEN'S  BOOKS. 

A  Foreword*  "I  looked  upon  the  world,  and  saw  that  it  was 
shadowed  by  sorrow  and  scorched  by  the  fierce  fires  of  suffer- 
ing- I  looked  for  the  cause,  but  could  not  find  it  until  I  looked 
within,  and  there  found  both  the  cause  and  the  self-made  nature 
of  the  cause.  I  looked  again,  deeper,  and  found  the  remedy  I 
found  one  Law,  the  Law  of  Love;  one  Life,  the  Life  of  adjust- 
ment to  that  Law ;  one  Truth,  the  Truth  of  a  conquered  mind  and 
a  quiet  and  obedient  heart.  And  I  dreamed  of  writing  a  book 
which  should  help  men  and  women,  rich  or  poor,  learned  or  un- 
learned, worldly  or  unworldly,  to  find  within  themselves  the  source 
of  all  success,  all  happiness,  all  accomplishment,  all  truth:  And 
the  dream  remained  with  me,  and  at  last  became  substantial,  and 
now  I  send  it  forth  into  the  world  on  its  mission  of  healing  and 
blessedness,  knowing  that  it  cannot  fail  to  reach  the  homes  and 
hearts  of  those  who  are  waiting  and  ready  to  receive  it" 

As  a  Man  Thinketh.  Inspiring  and  helpful  "  New  Thought." 

The  Path  of  Prosperity.  A  way  leading  out  of  undesir- 
able conditions  to  health,  success,  power,  abounding  happiness 
and  the  realization  of  prosperity. 

Out  from  the  Heart.     Most  optimistic  and  uplifting. 

Entering  the  Kingdom.  That  heavenly  kingdom  within 
the  heart  of  man,  where  perfect  trust,  knowledge,  peace  and  love 
await  all  who  will  enter  its  Golden  Gateways. 

The  Way  of  Peace.     It's  realization  and  attainment. 

The  Heavenly  Life.  How  to  attain  its  supreme  happiness 
in  this  life,  on  this  earth,  here  and  now. 

Morning  and  Evening  Thoughts.     Allen's  rare  jewels. 

Through  the  Gate  of  Good.  Leading  from  the  complex- 
ities of  ignorance  and  formalism  to  the  joyful  simplicity  of  Enlight- 
enment and  Faith. 

Any  of  the  above  in   either  style  of  binding  as  follows: 
Paper  Covers,  size  4|4x7!4  .15 

Cloth  Binding,  .50 

Leather  Binding,  "  .75 

Watered  Silk,       "       "  .75 

Special  Gift  Editions,  with  colored  borders,  5'/^x7^4,  imbossed     .75 

Life  Triumphant.     Man's  Divine  Destiny.     Cloth.     1.00 

From  Poverty  to  Power.  The  Path  of  Prosperity  and 
Way  of  Peace.  The  two  books  in  1  vol 1.00 

Order  and  read  one  of  the  books — say  The  Path  of  Prosperity,  and 
you'll  ask  the  price  Per  dozen,   wanting  all  friends  to  have  one. 


Condensed  List  of  New 

Books,  Regularly  in  Stock,  for 

Sale,  Exchange  or  Circulating  Library 

Use.     May  be  Exchanged  if  not 

Found  to  be  What  is  Wanted. 

Order  By  Number. 

22001    A.  A.  S.  R.,  Book  of  the.    McClenachan 3.00 

22011     Adoptive  Rite,  revised,  enlarged.     Macoy i.oo 

22021     Ahiman  Rezon,  General.     Sickels 2.00 

22024         Morocco  binding,  gilt  edges 3.50 

22026  Ahrinziman,  An  Occult  Story.    Anita  Silvani. ...    i.oo 

22036    Akin's  Manual  of  the  Lodge 1.25 

22006    All  These  Things  Added.    Allen i.oo 

24231     Altar  in  the  Wilderness.    Johnson.    Cloth 50 

24235        Paper 25 

22051     Amaranth   Odes 20 

22055  Paper    15 

22041  Amaranth   Ritual,   revised,   enlarged.     Macoy..   i.oo 

22081  Ancient  Const.  Reprint  1723.    Music.    Anderson  I.oo 

22056  Ancient  Mysteries  and  Modern  Masonry i.oo 

22060        Paper.     Rev.  Charles  H.  Vail 75 

22071     Annotated  Constitutions.     Simons i.oo 

23726    An  Occulist's  Travels.     Reichel.     Cloth i.oo 

22086    Ancient  Mystic  Oriental-  Masonry.     Clymer 1.50 

221 10  Ancient  Order  of  Hurcules  (Burlesque),  6  copies  5.00 

22096    Ante  Room  Talks,  Bloomer, i.oo 

22091     Antiquities  of  Freemasonry.     Oliver 1.50 

22101  Antiquities  of  the  Orient  Unveiled,    Redding...  1.50 

22146  Arcane  Schools-Hist.  of  Fmsy.    John  Yorker. . .  4.75 

22016  As  a  Man  Thinketh.    J.  Allen.    Cloth,  4^x7^4  •     .50 

22017  Leather    75 

22018  Watered  Silk   75 

22019  Special  Gift  Edition 75 

22020  Paper .15 


22076    Ben   Hur.      Wallace 1.50 

22141     Bible  Testimony  to  Theosophical  Truths IO 

22175  Biography  of  Mrs.  Babington 25 

22191     Birthdays,  Their  Significance.     Colville 50 

22195        Paper 40 

22001     Book  of  A.  A.  S.  R.    McClenachan 3.00 

22146    Book  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  Forms i.oo 

22151     Book  of  the  Chapter.     Mackey, .  1.60 

22166    Book  of  the  Master.     Adams.  Cloth 1.25 

22176  Brotherhood.     Harding   50 

22186  Brotherhood  of  Healers.     /.  Macbeth.     Cloth. .     .50 

22161     Brother  of  Third  Degree.     Carver, 1.50 

22067  Buechners  Fraternal  Register,  vest  pock,  leather.     .60 

22181     Busbee's  Digest,  I.  O.  O.  F 4.00 

22151     Chapter,  Book  of  the,  Mackey,  Cloth 1.60 

22221     Chapter  Music.    Ilsley 15 

22230  Charges  of  a  Mason.    Chase 15 

22201  Christmas,  Easter  and  Burial  Services,  K.  T 45 

22202  Leather.    Rev.  Cornelius  L.  Twing 75 

22204  Morocco    I.OO 

22205  Paper    35 

222 10  Coles  Initiation  Ritual   (Burlesque),  6  copies..  3.75 

24011  Colorado  Grand  Lodge  Monitor.  Foster.  Cloth..     .75 

24012  Leather    i.oo 

22246  Concise  Cyclopedia  of  Freemasonry.  Hawkins. .   i.oo 

2221 1  Concordia,  words  only    Ilsley, 25 

22281     Constitution  and  History,  A.  A.  S.  R 2.00 

22295  Constitutions,  O.  E.  S.,     Africa,  paper 25 

22236    Cosmogony  of  Evolution.    Ingalese.    Cloth 2.00 

22266    Culture  of  Concentration.     W.  Q.  Judge 10 

22296  Constructive  Psychology.    Buck i.oo 

22231  Council  Monitor,      Chase, i.oo 

22241     Council  Monitor.       Mackey, 2.00 

22251     Craft  Masonry.    . Cunningham I.oo 

22254        Morocco  1.50 

22261     Cross  Masonic   Chart,   Revised 1.75 

22256    Crucifixion,  by  an  Eye  Witness i.oo 

22241     Cryptic  Masonry.    Mackey 2.00 

22411     Cyclopedia  of  Fraternities.     Stevens 4.50 

22271     Cushing's  Manual,  Parliamentary  Law 75 

22316    Dashed  Against  the  Rock.    Colville 75 


Daughters  of  Sphinx  (Burlesque),  6  copies....  5.00 

Diagram  of  Parliamentary  Rules.    Smith 50 

Morocco,  parchment  chart i.oo 

Discovery  of  the  Soul 1 .00 

Divine  Pedigree  of  Man.    T.  J.  Hudson 1.50 

Dream  Child.    Huntley 75 

Drew's  Monitor,  small 60 

Early  History  and  Antiquities.    Fort, 3.50 

Early  History  and  Proceedings,  N.  Y.  Vol.  I 2.50 

Early  History,  New  York.     Ross, 2.50 

Eden  to  Malta.     Belter, 1.50 

Egyptian    Symbols.     Portal,   Simons i.oo 

Egypt  the  Cradle  of  Msry.     de  Clifford,  2  vol. . .  6.75 

Half  American  morocco,  2  vol 7.50 

Full  American  morocco,  2  vol 10.00 

Full   Persian   morocco,    I    vol 10.00 

Election  and  Installation 40 

Paper 25 

Emerson's  Essays i.oo 

Ency.  and  History.    Oliver  &  Macoy.     Cloth. . .  2.75 

Library,  sheep,  marble  edge 3.00 

Half    American    Russia 3.25 

Half  American  Morocco 3.50 

Full  American  Russia 4.25 

Full    American    Morocco 5.75 

Full  Persian  Morocco 8.50 

22401  Encyclopedia,  Mackey,  McClenachan,  cloth 4.50 

22402  Sheep    6.00 

22405  Half  Russia,  Gilt  top 6.50 

22404        Full    morocco 8.00 

22406  Two  Volume  Edition 11.00 

22411     Encyclopedia   of   Fraternities.       Stevens, 4.50 

22356  Entering  the  Kingdom.    /.  Allen 50 

22357  Leather    75 

22358  Watered  Silk    75 

22359  Special  Gift  Edition 75 

22360  Paper 15 

22396    Evolution  of  the  Soul.    T.  J.  Hudson 1.50 

22476    Fate  Mastered   30 

22465     Female  Masonry,  "A  la  Lease" 50 

22091     Five  Grand  Periods  of  Masonry.    Oliver 1.50 


22471     Five  Jewels  of  the  Orient,  The.    Burton i.oo 

22490    Floral  March.     Simpson  40 

22481     Floral  Work.     Bunnell   40 

22485        Paper  — 25 

24006  Florida  Monitor,  Gr.  Lodge  Comm 75 

24007  Leather    i.oo 

22530    Freemasonry  and  Jesuitry 15 

22571  Freemason's  Monitor     Sickels i.oo 

22572  Same,  Lodge,  to  Comdy.,  leather 1.50 

22511  Freemason's  Monitor.     Thornberg 1.25 

225 12  Leather    2.00 

22501  Freemason's  Monitor.     Webb.    Cloth 75 

22502  Leather    i.oo 

22556  Freimaurer's  Handbuch.     Committee i.oo 

22557  Leather 1.25 

22551     Freimaurer's  Handbuch,  small 60 

22581     Fundamental  Truths.    N.  D.    Cloth 50 

22156    Funeral  Services.    Simons — Macoy 35 

22160        Paper  bound 25 

22651     Gem  of  Song,  O.  E.  S.    Pitkin  &  Mathews 50 

22655  Paper    25 

22021     General  Ahiman  Rezon,  a  Large  Monitor, 2.00 

22024        Same,  morocco  and  gilt.  Sickels — Macoy 3.50 

22656  Genius  of  Freemasonry.     Buck i.oo 

22671     Glints  of  Wisdom.    W.J.Colville 40 

22675  Paper   30 

22661     Great  Work.     T.  K 2.00 

22645  Guide  to  Chapter.    Sheville,  Gould,  limp  cloth.     .75 

22641  Same  in  cloth  and  gilt  binding i.oo 

22642  Leather    bound   with   flap 1.25 

22644        Bound  in  imitation  cowhide  morocco 1.50 

22646  Large  library  size,  cloth  bound 1.50 

22649        Same  in  imitation  morocco 2.00 

22676  Guild  Free  Masons,  Anc.  Const.  Charges....   i.oo 

22311     Hand  Book  of  Freemasonry.    Drew 60 

22711     Harmonia.       Music,   Cutler, 25 

22716    Harmonies  of  Evolution.     Huntley 2.00 

22741     Health  from  Knowledge.    Colville 75 

22745        Leatherette   50 

22851  Heavenly  Life.    James  Allen.    Goth 50 

22852  Leather    75 


22853  Watered   Silk    75 

22854  Special  Gift  Edition   75 

22855  Paper    15 

22746     Hebrew  Bible  in  English.    $1.00  to 20.00 

22856  Hermes    and    Plato,    Schure I.OO 

22721  Hermetic  Writing  of  Paracesus.    Waite.    2  vol..  .18.00 

22866  Heroines  of  Jerico.  Ceremonies.  Cloth.  Dickson    .75 

22861  Heroines  of  Jerico.     Ritual,  Cloth.     Dickson . .     .50 

22723     Historical  Landmarks.     Oliver 4.00 

22726     Historical-   Sketch — Morton    Commandery 2.00 

22731  History  and  Power  of  Mind.    Ingalese.    Cloth. .  2.00 

22751     History  of  A.  &.  A.  Scottish  Rite.    Folger, 3.00 

22791  History  of  Colored  Freemasonry.    Grimshaw..,    1.25 

22771  History  of  Freemasonry,  Concise.    Gould.   Qoth  2.75 

22772  Library — sheep   4.00 

22773  Half  Morocco 3.75 

22774  Full    Morocco 4.75 

22775  Levant    8.50 

22761  Hist,  of  Freemasonry  &  Concordant  Orders....  4.50 

22763  Half  Morocco.     Stillson  &  Hughan 5.50 

22764  Full    Morocco 6.50 

22765  Levant 10.00 

22780  History  of  Frmsy.    Gould,  6  vol.  ^  calf 25.00 

22779        Morocco.     (Shopworn,  sets  only)    30.00 

22781  History  of  Freemasonry.    Mitchell,  2  vols 4.00 

22782  Library — sheep    5.00 

22784        Morocco    6.00 

22801     History  of  Initiation.     Oliver 1.50 

22811  History  of  K.  T.  Revised.    Addison 3.25 

22812  Library  Sheep  3.50 

22818  Half   American   Russia    3.75 

22813  Half  American  Morocco  4.00 

22819  Full  American  Russia 4.75 

22814  Full  American  Morocco  5.00 

22817        Full  Persian  Morocco 8.75 

22821     History  of  Memphis  Rite.    Gottlieb I.OO 

22831     History  of  O.  E.  S.  Engle 2.25 

22841     History  of  Rosicrucians — Waite 2.50 

24276     Initiation,  Way  of.    Rudolf  Steiner,  P.  D i.oo 

24280        Paper   75 

22976  Initiation  and  Its  Results.  Rudolf  Steiner,  Ph.D.  i.oo 


23010  Initiation  of  a  Candidate — 6  copies  (Burlesque}  5.00 

22991     Indian  Masonry.     Wright 1.50 

22986  In  Memoriam — Orin   Welsh.      (Shopworn) ....   1.50 

22981     Installation   Ceremonies,     Simons — Whiting 40 

22985        Paper    25 

22281     Introduction  and  History,  A.  A.  S.  R 2.00 

22996    In  Tune  with  the  Infinite.    Trine 1.25 

23011  I.  O.  O.  F.  Hist  and  Manual 3.75 

23013        Half  Morocco 4.75 

23914        Full   Morocco 6.50 

23001     Irish  Prince  and  Hebrew  Prophet.     Kissick 1.50 

23046    Jerico  Road.  (I.  O.  O.  F.)     Thompson i.oo 

22530    Jesuitry  and  Frmsy.      Rameses 15 

23056    Jesus,  the  Last  Great  Initiate.    Schure i.oo 

23076    Jewels  of  Pythian  Knighthood,  cloth 3.00 

23078  Haslf    Morocco 4.00 

23079  Full   Morocco 5.00 

23061     Josephus,  The  Works  of 1.75 

23121  Kabbalah  Unveiled.    S.  L.  M.  Mathers.    Goth..  3.50 

23086     Kingdom  of  Love.    Frank i.oo 

23120    King  Solomon's  Secret  (Farce)   35 

23092     K.  of  P.  Drill.    Carnahan,    Leather 1.50 

23091         Cloth i.oo 

23115  Knights  of  the  Zoroasters  (Burlesque},  6  copies  3.75 

23070  Knight  Templar  Melodies,  per  doz 4.80 

23071  Koran.    Translated  by  Sale 1.50 

23106    Krishna  and  Orpheus.    Schure 1.25 

26045     Labyrinth  as  a  Life  Story.    0.  E.  S.    Paper 25 

23141     Law  of  Mental  Medicine.    T.J.Hudson 1.50 

23146    Law  of  Psychic  Phenomena.     T.  J.  Hudson 1.50 

23161     Lexicon  of  Freemasonry.    Mackey, 3.00 

23151     Life  and  Power  from  Within.     Colville 75 

23186    Life  and  Doctrine  of  Paracelsus.    Cloth 2.50 

23286  Life  and  Writings  of  Dr.  Robt.  Fludd.    Goth. .  2.50 

23176    Light  of  Asia.    Edwin  Arnold 75 

23166  Light  on  the  Path.    M.  C.    Cloth 50 

23167  Leather 75 

23181     Lights  and  Shadows.     Morris — Mackey 2.50 

23156    Living  Decalogue.     Colville 50 

23191     Lodge  Goat.      Comic 2.00 

23201     Lodge  Music.    Ilsley 15 


23196    Lost  Word  Found.    Buck 50 

23221     Low   Twelve.     Ellis 1.50 

23224        Morocco  2.50 

23472    Mackey's  Ritualist,  leather 1.60 

23531     Man  Limitless.     Wilson 1.25 

23481     Man  of  Mount  Moriah.    Boutelle 2.40 

23483        Half  Morocco 3.20 

23486  Half   Russia 2.80 

23487  Half  Russia,  gilt  edges 3.60 

23488  Half  Morocco,  gilt  edges  4.00 

28485        Paper    1.60 

23521  Manual,  Lodge  of  Perfection.    Nor.  Jurisdiction  1.50 

23517     Manual  of  Lodge  of  N.  J.     (New) 1.25 

23491     Manual  of  the  Chapter.    Sheville  and  Gould 75 

23501     Manual  of  the  Lodge.    Mackey 2.00 

2351 1  Manual  of  the  Lodge  of  N.  J.  Illust'd 25 

23512  Leather    35 

23526    Masonic  Burial  Services.    Macoy 50 

13461     Masonic  Eclectic,  2  vols.,  shopworn i.oo 

23541     Masonic  Gem.     Rev.  A.  L.  Alford 50 

23551     Masonic  Jurisprudence.     Simons 1.50 

23561     Masonic  Jurisprudence.     Mackey 2.50 

23401  Masonic  Jurisprudence  and  Symbolism.  Lawrence  i.oo 

23581     Masonic  Law  and  Practice.     Lockwood I.oo 

23261     Masonic  Lodge  Music,  (Kane  Lodge,  N.  J.) 40 

23265        Paper    25 

23271     Masonic  Light  on  Abduction  of  Morgan i.oo 

23591  Masonic  Musical  Manual.    Lithographed 75 

23594  Leather.     W.  H.  Janes.     Lithographed I.oo 

23595  Paper  Board,  7^x10.    Lithographed 50 

23600        Paper  Flexible.    Lithographed 35 

23592  Paper  Board.    Cheaper  Print 35 

23593  Paper  Flexible.     Cheaper  Print 25 

23596  Cloth  Board.    Cheaper  Print 60 

23598  Paper  Flexible.    Words  only  4x6 20 

23597  Cloth  Flexible.    Words  only  4x6 25 

23599  Cloth  Board  and  Stamp.     Words  only  4x6. .     .35 
23620  Masonic  Orpheus.     Words  and  Music.    Dow. . .  1.75 

23571     Masonic  Parliamentary  Law.     Mackey 2.00 

23285  Masonic  Poetry.     Morris.     Silk  cloth,  gilt  edge.  3.50 

23291     Masonic  Sketch  Book.    E.  du  Laurans 2.00 


2331!     Masonic  Token      Anderson, 2.25 

23301     Masonic  Trials.    Treatise  upon  Law.    Look 1.50 

23316    Master  Mason  Hand  Book.    Crowe I.oo 

23306  Mastery  of  Mind  in  Making  of  Man.    Frank..  I.oo 

23321     Maurerisches  Liederbuch.    Roehr.    Cloth 25 

23400    Memorial  Service,  O.  E.  S.    Engle 25 

22420     Metal  Therapeutics.    A  Text  Book.    Colville 25 

23346     Meyer's    Tactics I.oo 

23345     Middle  Chamber  Work.     Paper 25 

22501  Miniature    Monitor.      Webb 75 

22502  Leather    I.oo 

23390     Missing  Link  (Burlesque}.     6  copies 3.00 

23389         Same  with  outfit 5.00 

23356    Mission  of  Masonry.    Peters 50 

23360        Paper    35 

23351     Monitor  of  A.  A.  S.  R.    By  Webb — Carson 1.50 

23376    Monitor — Grand  Lodge  N.  Y I.oo 

23570    Moot  Court  Martial,  6  copies   (Burlesque) 2.00 

>    23361     Morals  and  Dogma,  Scottish  Rite.  Pike 5.25 

23580  Munchers  of  Hard  Tack,  6  copies   (Burlesque)  3.75 

23671     Music  of  Chapter.     Marsh.     Cloth 65 

23673  Paper  Flexible   25 

23674  American  Morocco   I.oo 

23675  Paper    Board 40 

23586    Myrtle  Baldwin.    Munn 1.50 

23411     Mystic  Chord.       Mabie 50 

23415        Paper    25 

23421     Mystic  Masonry.     Buck 1.50 

23181     Mystic  Tie.    Morris-Mackey 2.50 

23701  New  Light  from  the  Great  Pyramid.    Parsons    5.00 

23707    New  Odd  Fellows  Manual — Grosh,  leather 1.50 

23706        Cloth.    Larger  Edition  2.50 

23709        Morocco  and  Gilt.    Larger  Edition 3.25 

23700    New  Woman   (Burlesque),  4  copies I.oo 

23712  Nuggets  from  King  Solomon's  Mines.    Schmalz  2.00 

23721     Obelisk  and  Freemasonry.    Weisse,  paper I.oo 

2373T     Obituary  Rites  of  Freemasonry.     Macoy 50 

23716    Occult  Science  in  India.    Jacolliot.    Cloth 2.50 

23776  Ocean  of  Theosophy,  The.    W.  Q.  Judge.    Goth     .75 


23011     Odd  Fellowship.    His.  and  Manual.    Ross 3.75 

23013  Half   Morocco    3.75 

23014  Full  Morocco   5.50 

23736  Odd  Fellowship,  Official  History.    Canvas 3.75 

23737  Half  Morocco.    Art  canvas 4.75 

23738  Full  Morocco   5.50 

23746    O.  E.  S.  Burial  Services.     Macoy 50 

23741     O.  E.  S.  Manual.    Macoy.    Original  Edition 75 

23766    Old  and  New  Psychology.    Colville 1 .00 

23771     Onesimus  Templeton.    Colville 50 

23786  On  the  Road  to  Seh-Knowledge.    Jones.    Cloth.     .50 

23640  Oriental      Order      of      Humility.        6      copies 

(Burlesque)    1.50 

23821  Origin  of  Freemasonry  and  K.  T.    Bennett. ...  1.75 

22756  Out  From  the  Heart.    /.  Allen.    Cloth 50 

22757  Leather 75 

22758  Watered  Silk 7« 

22759  Special  Gift  Edition !75 

22760  Paper 15 

23791  Path  of  Prosperity,  The.    J.Allen 50 

23792  Leather 75 

23793  Watered  Silk 75 

23794  Special  Gift  Edition 75 

23795  Paper 15 

23796  Paths  to  Power.     Wilson i.oo 

23816  Perfect  Way;  or,  Finding  of  Christ.    Kingsford  2.00 

23281         Embossed  Cloth  Cover 2.75 

23806     Philosophy  of  Fire.     Clymer.     Cloth 1.50 

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23886    Red  Blood  of  Odd  Fellowship 1.50 

23860  Review  of  Cryptic  Masonry.     Warvelle,  paper..     .15 

23901     Roberts'  Rules  of  Order t 75 

23046    Rose  Croix.     Gilliam l.6o 

23896     Rosicrucian,  Cosmo  Conception.     Heindel 1.15 

23006     Rosicrucians.    Clymer 3.00 

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23922         Leather  bound  with  flap 1.25 

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23940         Watered    Silk 2.OO 

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23925        Paper 50 

23984        Leather 4.00 

23956     Sacred  Mysteries.    A.  Le  Plongeon 2.50 

23981     Scarlet  Book  of  Frmsy.    Redding 3.00 

23951     Scientific  Demonstration  of  the  Future 1.50 

24066  Secret  Doctrine,  Vols.  i,  2.     Blavatsky 10.00 

24067  Secret  Doctrine,  Vol.  3.    Blavatsky 5.00 

24031     Secret   Doctrine   Abridged 2.00 

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23966     Servant  in  the  House.     Kennedy 1.25 

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24050  Sons  of  Osirus  (Burlesque),  6  copies 3.75 

24021  Spirit  of  Freemasonry.    Oliver,  Hutchison 1.50 

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23961  Story  of  the  Other  Wise  Man.    Cloth.  Van  Dyke    .50 

23962  Limp  Leather i.oo 

24051  Swedenborg  Rite.    Beswick I.OO 

24071     Symbolism  of  Freemasonry.  2.25 

24061     Symbol  of  Glory.     Oliver 1.50 

24176    Tabernacle.     Caldecott   1.75 

24191  Tactics,   K.   T.  Grant i.oo 

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24206    Templar  Hand  book i.oo 

24201     Temple.       Eidersheim.     Cloth 1.50 

24236    This  Mystical  Life  of  Ours.    Trine i.oo 

24216    Thoughts   for  the  Occasion    2.00 

24186    Throne  of  Eden.    W.  J.  Colville i.oo 

24241     Through  Silence  to  Realization.    Wilson i.oo 

24166    Traces  of  a  Hidden  Tradition  in  Masonry 1.25 

24213  Traditions,  Origins,  Early  History.    Pierson....  2.50 

24225     Trial  of  Jesus.     Druker 25 

24230  Twentieth  Century  Orient  (Burlesque),  6  copies    3.00 

24256    Universal  Spiritualism i.oo 

24250  Van  Nest's  Burlesque  R:tual,  6  copies 3.75 

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24301     Washington  and  His  Masonic  Compeers 2.50 

24276    Way  of  Initiation.     Rudolf  Steiner,  P.  D i.oo 

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